


Rising Sun, Waning Moon

by Caranraw Greyhame (Atrus)



Series: Beneath the same skies [5]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: M/M, Male Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Named Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Post-Stormblood, Roegadyn (Final Fantasy XIV), Secret Relationship, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:20:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 27,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26162527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Atrus/pseuds/Caranraw%20Greyhame
Summary: Gosetsu is alive, but his unexpected companion seems to be spelling trouble for Doma. Things get more complicated when an ambassador from Garlemald shows up at the door. And with everything going on, Caranraw can’t find a single quiet moment to spend with Hien…
Relationships: Hien Rijin/Warrior of Light
Series: Beneath the same skies [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1800427
Comments: 11
Kudos: 13





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry it took so long to get this posted but my beta reader was swept up by real life.
> 
> This story takes place during the Rise of a New Sun and Under the Moonlight questlines. It will be a closer retelling of that plot compared to the previous pieces, split up in a few chapters, though always intersped with personal moments.
> 
> A few references will make more sense if you've read [Beneath an Eastern Sky](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23739484) and [A Night at the Reach](https://archiveofourown.org/works/24995158) first.

“My lord Hien. I am returned.”

In all my daydreams about going back to Doma, I must admit that I didn’t imagine it would be to rescue a dead man from the Empire and reunite him with his beloved master. And even if I never stopped hoping against all reason that Gosetsu could still be alive somewhere, never in my wildest dreams could I have paired him with a more improbable companion: Yotsuyu, the cruel and vicious viceroy of Doma under Garlean occupation, reduced to little more than an impressionable child with a love of  _ dango _ . 

But here we are at the House of the Fierce, where we can keep “Tsuyu” away from prying eyes, celebrating the return of a good friend in secret instead of out in the open, with feasts and celebration like he deserves. 

Hien has his back to the kneeling Gosetsu, an echo of the day we first met in Reunion. His voice is steady as he answers, seemingly unperturbed by such thoughts. “Save your tears for the morrow. For we who yet walk the path should not think too much on the destination. When the hour arrives, we shall welcome what comes with open arms,” he says, as if quoting from old scripture or, perhaps, a mentor’s advice, “And welcome it you did, even as the keep fell down around us. At that moment, in your smile, I spied a shred of hope. One which I have clung to ever since.”

The young lord turns to face us, the impassiveness giving way to a warm smile and the unbridled joy of being reunited with his old companion. “Gosetsu. Full glad am I to see you alive and well.”

The grizzled Roegadyn smiles. “We have played this scene before, have we not? Though this time our roles are reversed.”

"That they are. Meaning you know how I feel: wholly at a loss for words. Welcome back, old friend!” The lord of Doma chuckles, then crosses the few steps that separate him from Gosetsu and kneels. “Now then, though we rejoice at your return, it seems you have brought with you certain…complications.”

His eyes go to Yotsuyu and even her, in her current childlike state, can’t but startle at the sudden intensity of the gaze thrust upon her - though it lasts only a moment, Hien’s focus back on his mentor. 

“Rise, my friend. Tell me everything.”

* * *

It takes a few minutes for Gosetsu to retell the tale, and then for Alisaie and Alphinaud to fill our side of it. When it comes to Gosetsu’s sword, however, she glosses over the exorbitant cost we paid for it, though I can’t say whether it is to prevent Hien from trying to repay us or to save her brother from further embarrassment. 

Hien seems understandably troubled by the assault on Sakazuki. “The Empire is bold indeed to send a token force to engage the Confederacy.”

“As acting viceroy, Yotsuyu would have been privy to imperial secrets. The Garleans will not soon give up the chase,” Yugiri says, and Hien nods in agreement.

“Nay. It will end with her capture…or her death.” He turns to Yotsuyu and this time the woman seems less scared of him and more curious, for she asks: “Are you a friend too?”

Hien frowns at the question, clearly having taken her demure attire and behaviour so far as a consequence of her capture and nought else. 

“She claims to have lost her memory,” Gosetsu cuts in, “though I know not if she speaks true. I brought her here that you might decide her fate.”

“Lost her memory, you say…Regardless, the people have not forgotten. Her face yet haunts their dreams. She cannot roam free. We will hold her here for a time.” Hien turns to Yugiri. “Place her in Jifuya’s care, with the express instruction that she is not to be seen.”

“Yes, my lord,” the shinobi nods and beckons for Yotsuyu to follow her, but she recoils in fear. “N-No, I don’t want to. Don’t let her take me away!” she cries to Gosetsu, and the old man tries to soothe her. 

“It’s all right, Tsuyu. I will come with you. Be a good girl and listen to Yugiri.”

After a moment’s hesitation she lets herself be carried off by the other two, and we remain alone with a perplexed Hien. 

"From a hound at his throat to a puppy at his heel… If this is an act, it is a remarkable performance.”

Alisaie nods. “I find it hard to believe that it is in her chords to perform so humbly, even to ensure her own survival.”

I think back to what I’ve seen of her past. The abuse, the mistreatments, the cold, dead eyes of someone who expected nothing out of life if not more punishment. The thin line of a mouth that would turn to a cruel sneer many years later, once she was appointed viceroy and she could hurt in return everyone who had wounded her back in the day, and many more besides. 

Something of it must have bled in my expression for Hien turns his smirk on me. “Anything you’d like to share with us? I thought we’d talked about not keeping everything inside.”

“Funny. And nothing more than what Alisaie said. I doubt Yotsuyu was ever happy or carefree long enough to be able to fake it so convincingly.”

“So we’re all in agreement. That doesn’t make it easier to decide what to do with her. But for now,” Hien’s voice breaks, his expression uncharacteristically unguarded, “I want to thank you for delivering Gosetsu back to us in one piece.” 

“Isn’t that what friends are for?” Alphinaud says, “And reluctant as I am to say it, we have the East Aldenard Trading Company to thank for our timely intervention. The moment they sent word to us, we couldn’t but make our way to Kugane with all due haste.”

“Then we are lucky indeed to have friends who would journey to the other side of the world to help us ─ and repeatedly, at that. We have much and more to think upon, but as regards the Empire, we can but watch and wait. But come now, let us wait somewhere more comfortable.” 

Hien invites us all to take a seat in the inner chambers of the House while we wait for Yugiri and Gosetsu’s return. A few simple refreshments have been prepared in advance, anticipating the need of weary travellers. 

We all partake eagerly of the dried meat and persimmons, as well as the refreshing watered-down liquor that Hien keeps pouring for us. It has a sweet melon aftertaste, unfamiliar but not unpleasant. 

Hien and I sit naturally next to each other, and our eyes keep meeting, our hands bumping over the table. We must look like giddy schoolchildren, and I’m thankful the twins are kind enough to pretend not to notice. 

It’s still hard to figure out how to act around him. Though we’re only in the company of people who already know about our relationship, I don’t yet know how he feels about public displays of affection. On the other hand, the thought that members of the resistance (Does it still exist? Are they just the regular army, now?) could inadvertently walk in on us is all that’s keeping me from slamming Hien against the wall and ravishing him with kisses until our tongues hurt.

All right, there’s also the fact that Alphinaud would probably have a stroke.

“Now then,” Hien says, interrupting my thoughts, “seeing as you’ve come all this way, you must allow me to show you around the Enclave. I would not have you thinking we’ve been idle in your absence. The rebuilding effort proceeds apace, I’m pleased to say, and we are now ready to welcome home our countrymen who were displaced by the war. Should they so desire it, there is a place here for those who fled to Eorzea.”

Alphinaud is quick to accept the invitation. “We should be delighted. And I have no doubt that your subjects at Revenant’s Toll will be heartened to hear that their lord has not forgotten them. Wouldn’t you agree, sister? …sister?”

Alisaie startles, clearly distracted. “Hm? Oh, sorry. I just thought that Gosetsu and Yugiri would be back by now.”

Right on cue, the doors to the inner chamber open to reveal the two of them. The brisk pace of the shinobi betrays that something is amiss. “Forgive me, my lord, but Captain Jifuya is nowhere to be found.”

“Oh?” Hien frowns, “He was here when I arrived.”

"For now, we have taken Yotsuyu to a private chamber and assigned another to watch over her, my lord,” Gosetsu says, “but I find it passing strange that the captain should leave his post with nary a word.”

“That does seem most unusual.” Alphinaud volunteers our help, and Yugiri bids us ask the soldiers in the compound while she searches outside. 

“I will join you.” Hien rises to follow, but she shakes her head. “With respect, my lord, you should remain here. Should the Empire move against us, you will be better able to coordinate our response.”

“Hah! And there I was thinking I was in charge… But you have the right of it. Go on, then. I will mind the House.”

* * *

Jifuya is not hard to track, and he easily capitulates when found. Yet, given the circumstances, I find it hard to fault the man for abandoning his post. 

“‘His master when she was a courtesan.’ He might as well have said that he was her pimp,” Alphinaud almost spits his words, “Had she taken the role willingly ‘twould be a different matter, but…”

Alisaie nods. “Aye. To be sold by her father, and then rented to other men without her consent… ‘Tis no wonder that she dreamed of revenge and grasped at the chance of it.” 

“I would not presume to defend the life Jifuya led before he joined the Front. Nor will I condemn it,” Hien says, crossing his arms, “Frankly, it is not my place to judge.”

“You are the King of Doma,” I frown, “Doesn’t that make you the ultimate judge?”

“Had we been a free people, I want to believe that such despicable behaviour would have been quashed under my father’s rule, and condemned by all Domans of good standing. As things were, however, people had to do what they could to survive the occupation, all the while I lived a comfortable life of luxury - though in a gilded cage. So no, I will not judge. His own conscience will torment him enough.”

I nod, acknowledging the point.

“I will only say this: the Jifuya I know has ever been a man of courage. That he should feel driven to flee bespeaks the depth of his terror. Even now, Yotsuyu casts a shadow over the realm… But the question of what is to be done with her must wait. The Empire is on the move once more.”

“So soon?” Alphinaud gasps, “I had hoped we would have more time.”

“We received word from our shinobi allies that an imperial airship has been sighted over Doman soil. Our visitors’ objective remains unclear. It may be another attempt to recover Yotsuyu… or a prelude to invasion. Either way, the craft reportedly advances at speed, and appears bound for Castrum Fluminis. I mean to go there and ascertain their intent. If we ride out in force, it will only end one way, so we shall keep our numbers to a minimum. Yugiri, Caranraw ─ can I count on you?”

I palm my fist and grin. “You have to ask?”

The twins offer to help as well, and Hien dispatches them to the Enclave to reassure the population. Gosetsu, too, wants to do his part, but since the Empire are looking for him and Yotsuyu, the young lord bids him to stay hidden and protect the woman. 

Gosetsu seems about to retort, but then acquiesces. “As you wish. Pray stay close to Caranraw and Yugiri.” 

“Well, well… Guard duty and not a breath of protest. Now I have seen it all. To Castrum Fluminis, then. Let us find out what the Empire’s game is.”

* * *

I am not sure what to make of this Asahi. For sure, an ambassador on a peace negotiation should be far less troubling than an invasion force, but the fact that he just happens to be Yotsuyu’s step brother is far too conspicuous to be a coincidence.

This is where normally I would confer with my companions to discuss our next move, but Hien and Yugiri have gone on ahead to accompany the Garlean delegation to the Enclave, and thus I’m left alone with my doubts. 

As I make my way to the centre of the Enclave I can see that the Domans have not been sitting idly during my time away, just like Hien said. I left the place a barren ruin and now, while visibly incomplete, it already resembles a city again, the walls rebuilt and the frames of several buildings standing where there was only rubble.

I am pondering whether I have time to complete my exploration of the Enclave when I spot Hien a little ways from the central square, where a newfangled Aetheryte is spinning lazily on itself. 

“There you are!” he cries, rushing to meet me halfway, “So, first things first: what do you think of the Enclave? I must say, I’m quite proud of what my countrymen have accomplished in the time. We even have an Aetheryte now, courtesy of the Onishishu. Be sure and attune to it, would you? Once it has the Warrior of Light’s seal of approval, people might actually start using the thing.” 

“Woah, woah, slow down!” I laugh, stopping just shy of touching him, “I’ve yet to take the grand tour, but what I’ve seen is leaps and bounds from how things were when I left. Keep up this pace and it’s going to be finished by the time your people return from Mor Dhona.”

Hien’s chest swells with pride at the compliments, though the crinkle in his smile says that it’s not as simple as that. “Wish that it were so! Unfortunately we are short on both coin and hands. People were ready to volunteer time and resources to the reconstruction in the wake of the liberation, but our stockpiles are steadily depleting, and we can’t just keep emptying our coffers without turning a-”

“-a profit,” I finish for him. “It’s a lesson I learned first hand in the last few weeks.” 

Hien looks at me with curiosity and, as we walk to the Aetheryte, I continue. “I helped broker a trade deal to solve a similar situation in Ala Mhigo. The export of salt will help turn a profit for Ul’dah while also financing the repatriation of the Ala Mhigan refugees. It’s that rare occasion when a business deal has left everyone happy.”

“Export, you say? Selling Doman wares will definitely help fund the reconstruction. I will have to pitch the idea to my advisors.” 

I extend my hand to the giant floating crystal, initiating the attuning process. “Just remember to talk to Alphinaud before you sign a contract with the East Aldenard Trading Company. The boy may still be learning the ropes in the field, but he’s outright  _ vicious  _ with pen and paper.”

Hien laughs. “I most definitely will. But on to more pressing matters: the ambassador and his retinue are at my hall, taking their ease ahead of the negotiations. I want you there when the talking starts. It will serve to send a message to the Empire that Eorzea and Doma stand united. I am not normally one for hollow posturing, but in this game of nations, such gestures carry weight. Oh, and should you feel uneasy about speaking for the Scions, Alphinaud and Alisaie will also be there. You need only eat, drink, and look imposing. Say you’ll come.”

“All three things that I can do with my eyes closed. And at this point, I’m offended that you even think I would say no to you,“ I feel the unmistakable jolt of aether that signals the completion of the attunement, and immediately mark this down as a favorite destination. ”Although I suppose I’ll have to contain myself when it comes to the first two, lest I leave an unfavorable impression on our guests.”

“True, true,” Hien nods, “I remember your enthusiasm when we first ate bantan soup. As well as your face when they told you it’s mostly known as baby food or a hangover cure.”

“And I remember you asking for three bowls after that night we spent drinking arkhi in Reunion. Two can play at that game,  _ my lord _ .”

“My reckless past is coming back to haunt me!” Hien shakes his head and stifles a laugh. “Though I hope I can count on your discretion during the peace talks. Come now, let us head to my humble abode, the Kienkan. Our guests are waiting.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asahi asks for a tour of Yanxia, and Hien wants to fix some mistakes

The first part of the negotiations has gone smoothly. Too smoothly, in my experience with Garlemald: these Populares may say that they speak for the common man, but I doubt the Emperor is wont to grant plenipotentiary powers to just any ambassador, especially one not of Garlean descent and opposing the current imperial policy. 

I keep all this to myself, though, on the off chance that all parties involved are actually intent on honoring their promises. Well, I know Hien is. As for the rest, we’ll see. If Asahi’s little smile keeps raising my hackles, Maxima’s calm countenance seems to at least project a little measure of trustworthiness. 

After that meeting, I would like nothing more than to complete my exploration of the Enclave in peace. So of course Yugiri catches me with the smug kid in tow and conscripts me and Alisaie in giving him a tour of the region. 

Asahi makes a good show of seeming contrite for the destruction of Monzen and the loss of Doma Castle, but I can’t shake the feeling that he is mourning the loss of  _ assets _ rather than people. As if this was just a case of mismanagement and not a bloody regime.

When the red Kojin attack, I am less than surprised. As Alisaie says, they are a long ways from the Ruby Sea, and what possible reason could they have to attack two children? 

They come in droves - not quite an army, but definitely far more than is needed to scare a village of rice farmers. All attempts to talk to them or call for a ceasefire fall on deaf ears, and so I’m reduced to letting my bow make the argument for me. 

Eventually the battle subsides, with the remaining Kojin carrying away their wounded, and many more littering the battlefield. I begin the grime process of recovering my arrows from their bodies.

“Another sad legacy of the Empire’s mismanagement,” I hear Asahi call them as he cleans his blade, and I grit my teeth. “The Empire to which you have sworn allegiance,” Yugiri calls him out, and he prattles some platitudes about change having to come from within. 

And then he asks me if he’s wrong. 

I think the only way the Empire can change from within is if some disgruntled Populares drops a bomb on the capital and obliterates it from the face of the planet. But I do not need Hien or Alphinaud to tell me that such an answer is undiplomatic, and so I settle for some empty words of myself. 

Asahi smiles at the small victory. “I knew you would understand. You have witnessed such change firsthand, after all, during your time in Ishgard. Dear me… I had hoped to convey my views on our nations’ shared hopes under more peaceable circumstances. Yet this regrettable little interlude did afford me a chance to see the famed hero of Eorzea in action, and few imperial soldiers can say that. At least, few who lived to tell the tale.”

“If they don’t want to taste my arrows,” I say, my mouth running faster than my good sense, “all they have to do is stop invading other people’s land. It is surprisingly effective.”

To my surprise, Asahi laughs. “You make a good point. Anyway, after that little ordeal, I believe it may be time for us to return to the enclave.”

“Return, my lord?” Alisaie frowns, “But what of Namai? You seemed so eager to observe the villagers going about their daily lives.”

“To be frank, I still am. But I rather doubt the good people of Namai would take kindly to the sight of a man in imperial uniform with blood still dripping from his blade. Even in your company, my presence would only prove a distraction.” To use an understatement. 

“Fret not, however. Thanks to the three of you, I have seen a great deal more than I otherwise would. And with any luck, Lord Hien will have finished considering my proposal by the time we return.”

Yugiri invites me and Alisaie to precede her at the Kienkan, claiming that Hien is expecting us. It’s very convenient timing, especially since it will allow us to bring Hien up to speed before he has to answer the ambassador.

Once again I wonder at how the Kienkan differs from all the other meeting halls I’ve seen in Eorzea, and it’s not just because of the Doman style of the architecture and decorations. Instead of a high table, there is but a large rug; in lieu of chairs, pillows; and Hien himself has no throne, only a finely painted screen on a dais. The ten of us, even sitting wide apart, fill less than a third of the room, which makes the place seem oddly emptier than the open glade of the Lotus Stand.

“Welcome back, my friend,” Hien greets us, with Hakuro and Alphinaud standing at his sides, “Yugiri told me you accompanied her and Asahi on a tour of Yanxia. I had hoped you might take the opportunity to recover from your exertions at Sakazuki… but I gather your time was well spent. Until the ambassador affords Yugiri a chance to make a full report, however, I must rely on you to supply the details. So please ─ tell us how it all unfolded.”

“I don’t know if well spent, but it definitely wasn’t restful.” 

Alisaie and I take turns giving a quick account of the tour. As predicted, the others are just as surprised as we were from its violent ending. 

“The Red Kojin? Here?” Alphinaud turns to ask Hien, “Have there been any other such incidents since the liberation?”

“Only one, that I am aware of. If they are planning some new venture here in Yanxia, we will need to increase patrols. In any event, I am indebted to you for fighting them off. But tell me, you two - and don’t be modest - was Asahi  _ truly  _ the first to leap to the youngsters’ aid?”

“He was,” Alisaie says, “I was quick to doubt him when we first met, but his desire to save them seemed quite genuine. It’s possible he truly believes what he’s saying.”

Hien nods, then asks me, “In the time I’ve known you, you have always been an excellent judge of character. What do you make of the ambassador?”

I wrung my lip. Yes, he helped the kids, and yes, he speaks of peace and reform. And yet… 

“I still don’t think he can be trusted. And I don’t think the Red Kojin attack was entirely coincidental. Call me a cynic, but if Asahi really wanted to meet the people of Namai as a peacemaker, why did he return to his ship to arm himself with a katana?” 

“Unless he was already awaiting an attack,” Hakuro completes the thought for me, his tail swishing at the implications. “But how did he know where they would strike, and when?”

“I do not know… yet. But the timing of it seems suspicious. Just like his arrival right after his stepsister returned to Doma.”

“Then the question of what his true intention may be remains,” Hien sighs, “Regardless of his aim, I am resigned to playing his game. For now, at least.”

“Well, forswearing summoning should be simple enough, considering you never dabbled in it in the first place,” Alisaie says, “which just leaves the somewhat thornier question of how to police the Red Kojin.”

“It was with that very question in mind that I sought Alphinaud’s counsel. Thanks to his knowledge of the eikons and the rituals used to invoke them, I believe we’ve identified a workable solution.”

Alphinaud clears his throat and launches in an explanation of their plan, which for the most part consists in enlisting the aid of Bunchin and the Blue Kojin to prevent the Red Kojin from amassing more relics or crystals in the treasure vault. “With their aether stores depleted, I am quite confident we can keep them from obtaining what they require to call upon Susano.”

“And what of the prisoners?” Alisaie asks.

“They will be exchanged as agreed, and I will give full credit to Asahi for the success of the transaction. If there is aught we can do to help the Populares garner favor, I mean to see it done.” Hien’s face suddenly turns grave. “But first, I have some unfinished business to attend to. Would you all come with me?”

Alisaie tilts her head, frowning. “Yes, of course, but…what manner of business?”

“A past mistake which I would see put right. One which has weighed heavy on my mind.”

Hien shows us down one of the corridors that run all around the central room of the Kienkan. A rich wainscot hugs the wall on the left side. Columns of the selfsame wood rise at regular intervals, decorated with red lacquer designs, and run all the way to the foot of the other side. 

While the left wall is blank, the right side is covered in panels of rice paper, decorated in a style of ink wash painting that I’ve seen before in Doma: strong, black strokes depicting what I imagine are the mountains of Yanxia. 

We stop in front of a door, the panels painted in the same fashion. At its sides, wooden decorations are shaped like stylized clouds, with their edges and reliefs varnished in gold. 

Hien slides the panels open and we enter a large guest room, dyed a warm olive green with red trimmings. Colorful floor lamps are strewn around, as well as wooden partitions with more hills-and-clouds motifs giving a measure of privacy to the occupants. 

Gosetsu is sitting formally in _seiza_ , likely having heard of our approach, while Tsuyu is lounging lazily on her pillow seat, snacking on dango with relish. 

“I had her brought here in secret while the three of you kept our guest company,” Hien says.

Then, without notice, he draws his katana and levels it at the neck of Tsuyu, who cries in surprise. The dango falls from her hand, and the skewer rolls lazily on the wooden floor while the twins and I stare slack jawed from the shock. 

“The world has not been kind to you, it is true,” Hien tells her, “but that does not excuse your sins. You should be at the bottom of the river.” 

Tsuyu returns nothing, just staring at Hien wild-eyed, and he continues, “Yet here you are, the living, breathing proof of my failure. A failure for which I would now make amends.”

The woman finally finds a little, plaintive voice. “What did I do? I don’t remember. Was it really so terrible? Tell me, please! What did I do!?”

“You speak of sins, my lord, but at whose feet do those sins lie?” Gosetsu hasn’t moved from his seat, head still bowed down, fists resting on his knees, but his voice is firm and deep, ”With the soldiers who committed the crimes, or those who commanded them to do so? With both, I would say, for all have a conscience, and all must choose. But with no memory of who she is or what she has done, what sin remains to be cleansed?”

Hien turns to him, frowning. “You ask that I show mercy?”

“I ask,” the older man replies, pointedly, “why the heavens saw fit to deny me my rest. Why Yotsuyu was spared not only death but the bitter memories of her life.”

“You truly think it the will of the kami…” After a moment’s hesitation, the lord of Doma sheathes his katana. Tsuyu lowers her gaze and presses a hand to her chest, perturbed by the whole affair. 

“If so, her life is not mine to take. It is yours to safeguard,” Hien goes on, crossing his arms, “Come the hour of the exchange, if her memories have not returned, she may remain here in Doma to live out her days as Tsuyu. But if they do, the Garleans shall have their viceroy. Though the people will protest, they will come to accept my decision when they have been reunited with their loved ones.”

Gosestu sighs in relief and gratitude. “Thank you, my lord.”

“Now, then. I believe we have kept our guest waiting long enough.” 

With Yotsuyu’s final fate postponed for the time being, Hien ushers us out of Gosetsu’s room and bids us return to the meeting hall. While Alphinaud and Alisaie precede us, he slows down his step so that we remain alone in the corridor. 

“Did Gosetsu not seem strange to you?” he asks me, “His sympathy for Yotsuyu apart, I mean.”

“Stranger than you threatening to kill a woman in cold blood? Oh, golly, I’m not sure.” 

There may be a tiny bit of sarcasm dripping from my voice, and Hien bristles. “Wouldn’t you have done it? Wouldn’t you have taken justice on the monster who oppressed your people? Who killed so many, hurt so many, out of pure spite?”

I scowl. “I would hesitate to call that justice. If Gosetsu had not spoken, I was ready to get between her and your sword myself.”

“You didn’t have such qualms when we faced her in Doma castle.”

“Because she was a present threat then! But look at her now: broken, small, pitiful… If she had her memories I would contemplate prison, a tribunal. But summary execution? No.”

“I see.” He gives me a look I can’t quite parse, then sighs, “But back to Gosetsu. I know his powers of endurance only too well, but after all he has suffered, even he should not be on his feet. He puts on a brave face for our sakes, but it would not surprise me if he lacked the strength to raise his blade.” 

I nod. The fact that the old man didn’t raise an inch from his seat was proof enough. 

“Though I suppose if he and Yotsuyu are to enjoy a life of peace and quiet, he will have little use for it,” Hien continues, “It falls to us to shape that future. One in which he need never again set foot on the battlefield.

“He has earned his rest, and more,” I concur, “though I do not wish to be the one who has to convince him of that. As much as a warrior may dream of peace, they may not be actually ready to find ways to fill their days that do not involve holding a sword in their hands.”

Hien smirks. “Is that so? I have a hard time believing that you are speaking from experience.”

“Hah! If I ever have an off month, I will come back to you about it. Or even an off week. If I put down my bow, it’s only to reach for my lute, or my hatchet, or my leather knife,” I sigh wistfully, “Maybe someone with authority should order me to stand down and rest, spend some time in their company.”

“That person in authority would probably love nothing more, but they’re likely juggling several spinning plates of their own. Alas, the world does not slow down for our convenience, nor our pleasures.” Hien gives me a rueful smile, then he crosses his arms, his face taking a frown of concern. “On that regard, though it is hardly at the top of our concerns, I have to ask: did you talk to Gosetsu on the way home from the Ruby Coast? About… us?”

I shake my head. “With Yotsuyu in tow, I felt it prudent not to say anything that she might use against us in case this were just a ruse, or if she recovers her memory. At any rate, I thought it would be better if both of us were present when we break the news to him.”

“I appreciate your caution,” Hien nods, “Unfortunately Tsuyu seems rather reluctant to separate herself from Gosetsu and vice versa, making it difficult for us to talk to him alone at this time. I may endeavour Yugiri to keep her occupied for a short while… assuming there are no further surprises.”

“I’m all out-surprised for today. Although I could make an exception if a beautiful man were to sneak into my room in the middle of the night.”

Hien crosses his arms, smirking. “Why should I have to be the one sneaking? Last time I checked, you were the adventurer.”

“I would prefer to meet without having to cuff your personal guard too hard, but if that is my lord’s desire...”

"You," he laughs, "are impossible." 

I reach for his hips and pull him close. "Last time I checked," I purr, "you liked that about me."

I see him lean closer, almost falling to the need that's tempting both of us. Almost. "If we tarry much longer they're going to come searching for us. We will make time for us later, I promise." 

"Ain't that always the way," I sigh, though I know he's right. The world does not slow down for our pleasure. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which Hien is late and Caranraw finds a new pet project

The rest of the talks proceed apace, and a prisoner exchange is agreed upon without too much fuss. The only point of contention is Yotsuyu, who Asahi wants to bring back to Garlemald. Hien must have given thoughts to Gosetu’s and my words, however, for he maintains that he will only release Yotsuyu on the condition that her memory returns - otherwise she will spend her remaining days here in Doma, living as Tsuyu.

After meeting with his sister and ascertaining the truth of Hien’s words, Asahi apparently acquiesces to the request. He seems actually sad that she has lost her memory, although, from what flashes I’ve seen of Yotsuyu’s past, there has never been much love or affection between the two.

It is only later at Castrum Fluminis, as we are seeing the ambassadors off, that Asahi’s mask cracks. 

“Mark me, savior of the savages. There will be a reckoning.”

The Echo brings me to the past, to the failed insurrection. Doman fighters have cornered Asahi in a corner, then, in a single swoop, they’re all felled. Asahi looks at the unexpected saviour, expecting a full squadron, but it’s just one man. A large, looming man, in impressive armor. Zenos. 

I return to the present and I find Asahi wild eyed, grinning like a feral animal, expecting me to strike him down. If I were not still shaking off the effect of my double sight, I would be offended: even I am not so foolish as to kill a foreign ambassador without provocation. 

The young man’s grimace shifts seamlessly into a somber smile as he turns back to the others, giving them a polite goodbye before returning to his airship.

With the Garleans gone, Hien is the first to notice my discomfort. “You look troubled, my friend. Was it something he said?”

“Something he said, and something I’ve seen.” I recount his words along with my vision, and the others are predictably -and understandably- perturbed. 

“Of all the memories to witness,” Alisaie says, placing a hand on my arm in sympathy. 

Yugiri shifts on her feet, a sign I’ve taken to mean that she’s seething. “I had my doubts about him, but I would never have guessed he was a disciple of Zenos. My lord-”

“Calm yourself, Yugiri. I set no store by him or his enlightened brethren,” Hien cuts her short, “but if by treating with them there is even the faintest hope we might secure the return of our conscripted brothers and sisters, I must play this game. After the way I risked their lives in the rebellion, I owe them that much.”

“My lord, you bear no blame for their fate.”

“If not blame then responsibility: they were prisoners and still I chose to fight, knowing they could be executed in retaliation. But now we have a chance to bring them home. If it means bargaining with a monster, so be it,” Hien says, then turns in my direction and flashes a smug smile, “Besides, I think he likes me. Which is more than some can say.”

There’s no answer I can give in polite company, so I simply roll my eyes. 

Alphinaud suggests that we stay in the area, given everything that’s going on right now, so we are better suited to lend a hand quickly given “the volatility of the situation”. 

Hien readily agrees. “Charting a path through this sea of troubles promises to be difficult enough. I am not so proud as to attempt the feat alone.”

“To Kugane, then. Tataru and the others must know of what transpired here.”

“If no one objects,” I drag out the words, strongly implying that objecting may lead to unfortunate consequences, “I will reach you all in Kugane later. I have unfinished dealings to tend to here in Doma.”

Alphinaud opens his mouth to speak, but his sister twists his arm behind his back, all the while keeping an innocent smile on. “Of course. We can make our own way back. Just remember to set aside some time for Soroban’s business venture before the ambassador returns.”

* * *

When we return to the Enclave, Hien apologises and says he has to convene with Hakuro and his other advisors and inform them of the new developments. “However,” he adds, “you must absolutely join me for dinner at sundown. I promise I will be free by then.” 

Though I expected as much, it is not any less disappointing, but it leaves me time to complete my tour. 

On my way back to the Kienkan I am intercepted by a woman named Kozakura, who says she’s the founder of the Shazenkai, an organization striving to rebuild the local industry and support the craftsmen and artisans of Yanxia. “We are not unlike the shazenso, a hardy herb that can thrive in even the most inhospitable of conditions. No matter the struggle! No matter the cost! The Shazenkai will do everything in its power to overcome every hurdle and rebuild this home of ours!”

To that end, she speaks of a plan involving donations of items from wealthy individuals in exchange for a gratuity. From her look in her eyes, it’s clear that she wants me to be one of such individuals but, before I commit to the cause, she invites me to visit the work site that is currently being given priority.

The Ten Thousand Stalls is an ambitious name. Maybe too ambitious for the small corner of the Enclave, which is currently looking more of a Ten Stalls, if that. But the woman at the helm, Mitsuba, is a force of nature unto herself, and her confidence that she’ll be able to transform her mess hall into a melting pot of international cuisine is definitely contagious.

“So,” I say at the end of the visit, “your problem is that you need more consumables from outside Yanxia?”

Kozakura nods. “That is the main concern for the Ten Thousands Stalls, yes, but the Enclave at large can make use of anything and everything you can afford to part with. Raw materials, foodstuffs, linens, medicines, all this and more would be of use.”

“Very well then. I make no promises, but I’ll see what I can do.”

My retainers look at their lists with suspicion.

“What?” I ask, crossing my arms. It’s clear that they have something on their mind, and they might as well voice it now rather than in snide comments later.

Branch, a young hyur botanist, is the first to speak. “Well, Big C, it’s not that we don’t trust your judgment-”

“But these are all fine meats. Quality meats,” continues Mizzen, a weather-beaten elezen hunter, “and a rather large quantity of them, too.”

“Not to mention all these herbs and spices. Some of them are quite… exotic.”

“Can you retrieve them for me,” I say, my patience wearing thin, “or should I just skip on your invaluable help and head straight to the marketplace?”

Both bristle at the offense. “What now! The marketplace, over us?” “Of course we can hunt and gather everything on your list. It’s just… you’re…”

“Spit. It. Out.”

Branch sighs with a shrug. “You’re not going to try and cook it yourself, are you?”

“Aye,” Mizzen adds, “I’m not going to waste my time hunting such delectable game if it’s just going to end up burnt in your pan. Or  _ oversalted _ .”

“Wha- you-” I stummer, “I’ll have you know that my grilled carp was praised by Lyngsath Hyllbornsyn himself!”

“That may well be, lad, but have you cooked anything after that, besides campfire fare?”

I look to Branch for support, but he just shakes his head. “He’s got a point, boss. Your pantry hasn’t been touched in months. I sold and replaced things to keep up your stock, but…”

“You men of little faith,” I grumble, “but no, these things aren’t for me, they’re for the Enclave, so for once just please do what you’re told and procure the food.”

“For this place? I’m not sure that’s much better,” Mizzen frowns, “It doesn’t even have a proper dining establishment.”

“It will soon. That is, if you move your asses and  _ do your job _ .”

I retreat to do some hunting of my own before I return to the Kienkan. Those two are damn fine at their respective skills, but talking to them for five minutes is enough to give me a headache for several bells afterwards. Maybe I should hire a third retainer just to forward them my ventures, although, with my luck, they’d probably be sassier than both of them combined. 

The sun is setting when I return to the main square, having left Mitsuba with a gift of warthog and the herbs to dress it. If she was surprised she didn’t let it show, but simply set her aides at work to turn the beast into meat and leather and bristles.

I inquire with the guard at the entrance of the Kienkan, and she informs me that Lord Hien is still busy. She also doesn’t know if I’ve been assigned a guest room, and is not about to leave her post to ask, so I grab a piece of wood to whittle and resign myself to wait. 

A bell passes, and another. When the guard at the entrance starts giving me funny looks, I move over to one of the tables that surround the square. The dark has come, and colorful paper lamps have been lit all over, making the place look like I’m inside a fairy-tale. 

“That’s pretty. Is it a fox?”

I raise my eyes from my work and peer into those of a gap-toothed little girl. I give her a friendly, if tired, smile. “It’s supposed to be a wolf, but these big fingers of mine aren’t too good for doing delicate work. Do you like it?”

She takes some time before mumbling a “yes”, muffled by her fingers covering a wide smile. Well, who am I to deny her? 

“Here you go, then, it’s all yours. Maybe you can paint it, and it will look more like a real wolf?”

“‘Ank you,” she says, cradling the figurine to her chest. Then, almost as an afterthought, she adds, “Daddy is training with a wolf, but she stands on two feet, not four. They say they want to defend us from the bad guys!”

Training for a new militia? I suppose it makes sense. Resistance fighters will likely want to return to their old lives now that the revolution is over, and a peacetime force will require different rules than a war unit. “You know,” I say, “I know a Lupin warrior too. His name is Hakuro and he’s very brave.” The girl nods, but her attention is now fully taken by the figurine. 

When a man-shaped shadow gets between her and the lamplight, she turns to its source, raises the little wolf and proudly proclaims “Look! Big fingers!”, only to frown when it’s not the person she was expecting. I smile, because it’s the one I was.

“Don’t let him fool you,” Hien says, kneeling down to her eye level and speaking like a conspirator, “his fingers are much more deft and nimble than he would make you believe, and he can craft in very exquisite detail.”

The girl giggles, likely more at Hien’s tone than his words, then turns away as a man cries “Kazane!” and runs in her direction. The man bows profusely several times before taking the girl in his arms. “I’m sorry, my lord. I hope she didn’t trouble you and your guest.”

“Not at all. Your daughter stepped in to entertain my friend when I failed in my duties as a host. In fact, I believe I owe her a debt.”

“I want Hakuro the wolf!” Kazane shouts, raising the figurine, and I laugh. “There you have it, my lord. You shall have to tell your general that he is now betrothed.”

Hien joins in the laughter. “When Hakuro swore that he would follow my every order, I doubt that this was what he had in mind! Yet, a debt is a debt… though she may yet change her mind and find a more befitting suitor than a grumpy old wolf.”

Kazane’s father remains speechless and rooted on the spot for the whole exchange, all the while she struggles and tries to escape from his arms. Hien finally takes pity on him and gives him a polite nod and a sign of dismissal, at which the man retreats as fast as he can without being impolite. 

Once we’re alone at the table, Hien’s smile falters and he bows to me. “I’m sorry. I should at least have let you know that I wouldn’t be able to make our date.”

“Yes, you should have,” I reply matter of factly, “and I could have done with a room to rest in instead of having to wait at the steps of the Kienkan.”

“You haven’t-? I thought I’d tasked Yugiri to provide you with quarters. Or maybe I just thought I did,” he leans over the table, letting the full extension of his tiredness show for a moment, “The meeting went on far longer than I expected. I completely lost track of the time. I know it’s not an excuse, but-”

“You look worn out. When is the last time you have eaten?”

The question takes him by surprise. “Hmm? During the talks with Asahi, I think. But I have had a few cups of tea.”

“You barely nibbled on the refreshments, and that was just to be polite to the Garleans. We need to get some real food in you.” I stand from my bench and urge him to do the same, then I almost drag Hien to the Ten Thousand Stalls. Mitsuba is clearly amused to see me return for the third time in a day, then she notices my company and bows deeply. “My lord, it is an honor to have you grace these humble stalls with your visit. Master Caranraw, come back so soon? Eager for that hot meal after all?”

“I see you are making great strides in the construction,” Hien replies, falling back immediately into his role, “and that you’ve already met my good friend. I believe we are indeed here to sample the wares, are we not?” he ends, with a quizzical look in my direction.

“Very much so. Our lord has been so absorbed in his work that he has forgotten that he needs to eat like the rest of us,” I tell Mitsuba, prompting a laugh from Hien, “Could you have something hearty delivered to his rooms at the Kienkan, please? For two.”

The big woman grins and nods. “Leave it to me! As it happens, our larder has been gifted with a most generous contribution. I know just the thing for you.”

“Thank you.”

“What for?” I ask Hien, as we make our way to the Kienkan. The same guard greets us at the door, and she almost blanches when Hien tells her in his most casual tone that I’m to be always allowed access into the palace. 

“For caring for me. And for arranging to eat in private. I know it was rude to Mitsuba, but I was not in the mood to entertain even more people after today.”

“Actually, I think we did her a favor. Not all the commoners want to eat at the same table as their boss after a hard day’s work, let alone their lord. There is much they won’t say or do when someone important is present, and that will prevent them from unwinding as much as their presence would do for you.“

He flashes me one of his brief smirks. “A wise consideration. I keep forgetting we are not among the Xaela anymore, and I’m not just one of many warriors of the Steppe. Things were much easier then.”

“You mean in our race against time to win the Dawn Throne and convince all the tribes to rally behind you in the quest to free Doma? Oh yes, simpler times.”

We pass two more guards (and who knows how many shinobi) on the way to Hien’s rooms, which look very similar to Gosetsu’s, although larger and with finer furniture. He must see me assessing the locale, for he says, “It’s not Doma castle, I know, but it’s all I can offer you. Even this I owe to my people, who tried to salvage as much as they could from the waters.”

I take advantage of the fact that we’re finally alone to wrap my arms around him and pull his back to my chest. “I would sleep on the rocks and under the stars if it means being with you. That said, these quarters look just fine, despite that I do not understand your people’s distaste for beds.”

“Aren’t your beds also a mattress over some wooden planks? Ours are the same, except we roll the mattress away during the day.”

“That may be so,” I murmur, “but it means I cannot just throw you-”

“Lord Hien,” a voice calls from outside the door, “shall we prepare a room for your guest?”

Hien groans, low enough that only I can hear it, then says, “Yes, a room close to mine, if you please. And bring us some tea. Someone should soon come from the Ten Thousands Stalls with our dinner.”

We leave our embrace and sit down at what Hien calls the  _ irori _ , a low table built around a sunken hearth, talking of things of no consequence while an attendant brings us a teapot and cups full of a green-tinged brew with a faint smell of jasmine and grass. Hien teaches me how to hold the cup in the Doman style and we both take a short sip, savoring the flavour. 

“We will never be truly alone, will we?” he says after a while.

I give him a sad smile. “Not in Doma, I fear. Many here don’t know or care who I am, but it will be ever harder for you to escape from your retinue and your responsibilities.”

He drinks more tea, then looks into his cup as if trying to divine answers from the movements of the liquid. “If only we could run away, just the two of us, living free under the sky… but no, I took on this mantle willingly, and it is not my place to deny it now. I put my duty to my people first and foremost, unfair as it is to you.”

“I haven’t complained yet,” I say again matter of factly, “or not much, at least. And I haven’t exactly been around here either. While your duty is to be here, mine is to roam wherever we’re needed. We knew that going in, and I still think the prize is worth the hardships.”

He raises his eyes and locks them with mine, giving me one of those smiles that make my heart melt and leave me completely vulnerable.

“Caran-”

“My lord, your food is here.”

We sigh and put off our conversation for later. “Come on in!”

Two aides from the Stalls come in, one carrying a large pot which she hangs from a hook over the  _ irori _ , the other holding several bowls and plates which he deftly arranges all around. 

One plate in particular catches Hien’s attention, an arrangement of thinly sliced meat in the shape of a flower: “Is that…?”

“Boar meat, my lord, freshly hunted.” 

The two aides bow before leaving us, and Hien wastes no time removing the lid from the pot and taking a good sniff at its contents: a rich broth with vegetables and mushrooms simmering inside it. “ _Botan nabe_. I feel like a boy again, when I was training with Gosetsu in the mountains of Yanxia. But where did they get fresh boar meat?”

“I may have had something to do with it,” I say, rubbing the back of my head, “While you were busy, I went out to relieve some stress from my day with the ambassador.”

“And you felled a boar? By yourself? And then what, you just dragged it all the way through Yanxia and to the Stalls?”

“Yes?” I shrug, “It would have taken me all day to clean it by myself, and Kozakura said they needed donations.”

Hien laughs, slapping his knee. “Oh, my love, how I wish I had been there to see their faces.”

My love. My heart almost explodes at hearing him say those two words. We’ve been so guarded this whole day that it doesn’t feel real to be finally able to let our guards down. 

“You’re making that face again,” Hien tells me, and I shake my head and grin. 

“Just happy. Being here and now. Now, show me how you eat hot pot here in Doma…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Doma is a bit of a weird country since, despite being geographically the equivalent of China on Hydealyn, her language and lore are mainly Japanese, or (like the Four Lords) based on the Japanese version of Chinese myths. For the purpose of this fic, since I've had to fill a few cultural gaps, I've decided to err on the Japanese side of things.  
> And since Yanxia is a mountainous area and has quests mentioning wild boars, it was basically inevitable for Hien and Caran to up eating the fancy version of a popular rural dish. As the wise ~~man~~ monster once said: "Om nom nom".


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very short chapter of fluffity fluff and some mostly-hinted-at naughtiness. 
> 
> I haven't forgotten about this fic, but I've been busy writing [my entries for the FFxivWrite2020 challenge](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26309980) and kinda forgot to update here. Whoops.

“I am full. I am so full. I don’t think I could possibly eat another bite.”

We’re slumped on our pillows, our heads resting next to the other, completely worn out by the trials of the day and the unexpected feast.

“Not one bite?” Hien teases, “Not even a skewer of dango?”

“Assuming Tsuyu even left some for us… but no. I declare myself defeated.”

“If she had any money, she would support our food economy all by herself. I’m sure her old self would be horrified at her choice of-” 

Hien trails off, as if struck by a sudden thought. I roll on my side to take a better look at him, and he looks oddly contrite compared to a minute ago. 

“What is it?”

“I forgot. When I was giving my swift judgment of Tsuyu… no small wonder that you disagreed with it. Thank the kami you and Gosetsu were there to stay my hand.”

“Love, you’re not making any sense, which is very scary and worrying coming from you.”

A feeble smile returns to his lips. “So I fool even you in pretending that I know what I’m doing all the time?”

“You make a very good job of it,” I lean forward for a quick kiss, “Seriously though, what is this sudden epiphany that soured your mood?”

“Your memory. Your past self. I forgot that you suffered the same fate as her.”

I blink, taking a moment to collect my words. “I… If it makes you feel any better, I tend to forget it myself, most of the time. Sure, I am occasionally curious as to who I was, my parents, my hometown… but what I was, what I do not remember, does not change who I am now. Oh. I see.”

Hien nods. “If someone were to come today and say that your past self did terrible things, should you be held responsible for them, given that you do not remember doing them, and that you are a champion of justice and freedom for so many? I believe whole nations would rise to your defense.”

Memories of the bloody banquet cross my mind, and I cringe. “I would not go that far.” 

“Well,  _ this  _ nation would. And so, should not Tsuyu be given the same chance to start anew? To rise to greatness, or live a comfortable life, unburdened by her past? No matter how hard it may be for the rest of us… Yes, this is the right decision, I see it now. I shall just have to envision a way to announce it to the general population without seeding more discontent. Even if we tried to keep her locked up forever, news of her is bound to escape the palace at some point.”

I think about that for a minute. “Better to rip off that bandage all at once, I think. And you may use me as an example, if you believe it will help the population better accept her presence.”

Hien firms his lips, pondering on my words. “We still have a few days before having to weigh on that decision,” he says, “The state of her memory at the prisoner exchange will determine if she remains here or not.”

“Assuming Asahi isn’t planning some trick.”

“Oh, he most definitely is, but until we know more, I will pretend that he intends to uphold his end of the bargain,” Hien says, scooting closer to me and resting his head on my shoulder. I breathe deeply in his hair. “But enough about Asahi: he has already taken most of our day, when it should have been spent celebrating two joyful reunions. Tell me about your adventures. Or should I say your trade ventures? First you broker a deal with Ala Mhigo, and now you have a business venture with the Blue Khojin? Are you thinking of leaving the adventurer life for a seat in a Trading Company?”

“Not even if they paid me handsomely for it. Which, if Hancock’s office in Kugane is anything to go by, they would...” I chuckle, “It’s just that the coffers of the Scions took a bad hit lately, and Soroban needs a skilled adventurer to help him recover a treasure. In exchange, we get to keep part of the findings, Tataru is happy, and Alphinaud doesn’t get his purse strings tied up forever.”

“Master Alphinaud, reckless with spending? I cannot imagine what he would deem worth expending such an exorbitant amount on!”

I sigh. “Alphinaud lets his chivalrous nature get the better of him at times. He should have known better than to buy… that thing without even negotiating. But let’s leave it at that.”

Hien raises his brows inquisitively, but lets the matter drop. “Very well, then. I will let you keep your secret, but I demand fair compensation in return.”

“Oh? Such as?”

“A thousand kisses will suffice. For starters.”

“I am happy to oblige.”

We don’t even get a chance to get into a hundred kisses before another voice calls from the other side of the door. “My lord Hien? I am sorry to disturb you and your guest at this time, but there is a matter that requires your attention.”

Hien groans, this time not even trying to hide his annoyance at the interruption: “Can it not wait until morning?”

The girl on the other side sounds mortified. “I do not know the details, my lord, I’ve been only sent to call you.”

Hien represses a biting remark, likely saving it for whoever has sent the girl, and proceeds to rearrange his clothes in a more presentable fashion. “I’m sorry,” he tells me, punctuating his words with a kiss, “It seems I cannot delay responsibilities even for the time of one meal. Please go and get some rest while I deal with this?”

“I don’t know that I’ll be able to sleep all by my lonesome,” I croon, and yawn immediately after to betray the truth of my words. It has been a long day, and we have been up since before dawn to escort Tsuyu and Gosetsu to the House of the Fierce unseen. 

“I will try not to take too long.”

* * *

One of Hien’s aides shows me to my room and hints gently at the availability of a hot bath. I’m not ashamed to say I moaned in pleasure when I submerged in the scalding waters, feeling my muscles relax under the heat.

With the grime and weariness of the day washed off of me, I return to my room, resolve to find something to do while waiting for Hien’s return, and promptly fall asleep not ten seconds later.

I’m not sure how much time has passed when I hear the door of my room slide open. The sliver of moonlight that passes through the window illuminates two bare feet crossing the threshold, and a moment later the door closes in a soft rustle of paper. 

The moon lights more of the figure as he crosses the room, hints of strong legs, long dark hair, and a white undershirt. 

With my face in shadow he must believe me asleep, for he kneels by my mattress and combs my hair with his fingers, ever so gently. “My sweet Rhotkoel,” he whispers, “how I wish to dispense with this charade and shout my love for you from the highest peaks. It does not deserve to live in the shadows.”

I pretend to stir awake, turning my head so I can kiss the palm of his hand. “My beloved Shun. When the time comes, I will sing it high and loud all across this star, and there won’t be a rock that won’t know that you are my sun and my moon. But for now, I would be content to have you in my bed, tonight.”

He chuckles, barely above a whisper. “That I can do.” 

With quick motions he removes the light cotton cloth he’s wearing, folds it, and lays it down on a low dresser. I hold my breath in, because he’s wearing nothing underneath, and his movements give me a perfect view of his backside. Twelve above, I missed this. Memories don’t do him justice. 

Then he turns toward me and he smiles as he sees my face, while my brain turns to mush because there is only so much perfection that the mortal brain can behold before it ceases to function properly. 

A few moments later he is with me under the covers, only inches apart, warm and beautiful and breathtaking. I trace his thighs with my hand, almost reverently, as we close in for a sweet, gentle kiss, holding the promise of more. 

“Did you resolve that unpostponable matter?” I ask, stupidly, because of course he’s here, with me, pressing against my body like he wants us to become one. 

“It turns out that it  _ could  _ wait until the morning, but since I was already there, I decided I might as well conclude that business and not waste more time on it tomorrow. And then,” he murmurs in my ear, gently pushing me on my back, “I put two guards in front of my room and instructed them that no one else is allowed to disturb me for any reason less than the Kienkan itself catching fire.”

“Oh?” I smile, as he straddles me and grabs my wrists to pull my arms above my head, “And do they know that you’re not in your rooms after all?”

“A lord has his secrets, and knows that it’s wise to have more than one exit from his private quarters,” he smirks, “Of course, for this ruse to work on this night and the nights to follow, we shall have to be absolutely quiet.”

“Given our precedents, I’m not sure that we can…”

“Nevertheless,” Hien leans right over my face, his hair making a halo in the moonlight, “it would give me great pleasure if you tried. For me.”

Oh yes. I can feel his pleasure growing. 

“Anything you want from me, my-  _ hnng _ !”

I bite my lip and muffle a cry as Hien gives a hard tweak to my right nipple. 

“That is unfair,” I pant, as he turns the twist into a gentle rub around the areola.

“My apologies. I had to make sure,” His hands travel down my chest, down my stomach, ever downwards, “Now shush. Let only the moon be our witness.” 

Then his mouth is on me, and my vision blurs.


	5. Chapter 5

We spend three days this way. During the daylight, Hien attends to his duties as Lord of Doma, while I hunt and forage anything that the Shazenkai might have a use for. During the night, he sneaks into my room and we torment each other in an ecstasy of silence. 

Hien comes to find me on the fourth day, while I’m working at the Ten Thousand Stalls to build some, well, stalls. “There you are, my friend. I wanted to ask if you would accompany me to… uh…”

“You know the answer is ‘yes’, just let me finish up here.” When he fails to answer, I raise my eyes from the wooden boards and see him struggle to compose a phrase. 

“Your new outfit,” he stummers eventually, “It is very… breezy.”

“Oh, this. You like it? I got it at the last Moonfire Faire in Costa del Sol,” I rise and strut around in my bright red joi and kohakama, which showcase my torso and limbs… and pretty much everything, except my shoulders and waist. “I know it’s technically a  _ dancing  _ outfit, but it’s comfortable and, as you said, it’s breezy in the heat.”

“Do not let him change!” Mitsuba shouts from behind the counter, “People are coming from all over Yanxia to get a good look at those sweet buns, and you’d better believe I am not letting them go until they have bought some of ours in return. My lord,” she adds, almost as an afterthought.

Hien makes a valiant effort to take his eyes away from my chest. “I am afraid it was my plan to steal him away from you, Mitsuba, but I shall do my best to return him to you in pristine condition before the day is over.”

“If you are going to talk about me like a piece of meat, you might at least haggle over a good price,” I say, hammering the last nail into a plank, “There, that’s another bench done. Now, if you’ll excuse me, these buns are at the service of the Lord of Doma!”

Mitsuba laughs hard enough to make several heads turn, while Hien simply shakes his head and chuckles. 

I pick up my tools and accompany Hien back to the Kienkan. “So, my lord requires a bodyguard today?”

“Indeed,” he nods, “I find myself with some unexpected free time, and so I would like to go on a short excursion through Yanxia. However, as you well know, Yugiri and Gosetsu won’t let me dream of leaving the Enclave by myself, these days in particular.”

“I see. And where are we going on this excursion?”

“A secluded fishing spot, up in the mountains.”

I stop myself from grinning like a fool. Barely.

Hien doesn’t. “You can keep the outfit.”

The Plum Springs are as pleasant as I remember, and sharing them with Hien even more. And so far away from anyone, we can be as loud as we like. 

It’s for that reason, and others, that I miss the first few calls on my linkpearl, the small device resting above the small pile of my clothes. “Yes?” I ask, plopping the device in my ear, “this is Caranraw.”

“ _ Where are you?! _ ” shouts the angry voice of a well-known lalafell on the other side, “Stop dilly-dallying in Doma and get your butt to Hell’s Lid, before Soroban’s anonymous petitioners change their mind and give their reward to someone else!”

“Lovely to hear you too, Tataru,” I laugh, “I’ll have you know that my butt is in high demand these days, but for you I’ll make the effort to clear my schedule.”

“You’d better, because time is money, and right now  _ we don’t have any _ !” The last part is shouted at someone next to her, but it still sends my ear ringing. The line is silent for a while, then Tataru’s voice comes back, now much more jovial. “All right, Alphinaud’s gone. I swear, it’s so easy to scare that boy… So! How is your vacation? Having fun harvesting rare flowers or whatever it is you do in your downtime?”

“If that’s your way of telling me that I don’t know how to relax, I’ll have you know that I’m currently swimming in a mountain lake, and in good company, at that.” I wink at Hien, who swims closer to wrap his hands around my waist.

“Finally! It’s about time that you learned to unwind!” The Scion treasurer seems genuinely happy and, thankfully enough, does not ask who exactly I’m in the company of. “I was only half kidding about the rest, however. If we don’t recoup the money we spent on Gosetsu’s sword, I will have to get a  _ loan _ ,” she spits the word with utter disgust, “and I’d rather chew my arm off than give that satisfaction to the Monetarians. No offense, Hancock.”

“None taken!” I hear the chipper reply from the trader.

“Did she say  _ Gosetsu’s _ sword?” Hien asks, loud enough for Tataru to hear. 

“Oh ho, is that the mysterious company? Anyone I know? His voice seems familiar…”

“That’s my friend Shun I have to go now I promise I’ll meet with Soroban soon. Farewell!” 

I close the call and sigh, only to find Hien staring at me. “Caranraw. Why did you have to spend money on Gosetsu’s sword?”

“Uh. He. Pawned it off in Kugane to buy passage for Doma. And dango.”

“Dango,” Hien’s face is unreadable, “and I suppose this is Alphinaud’s reckless purchase?”

“Yeah,” I rub the back of my head, feeling very much under interrogation, “Well, the reckless part was buying at the asking price without bargaining. There was no way we were going to leave without that sword.” 

“And pray tell, why did you think this was not worth telling me?”

“Because then you’d want to pay us back!” I cry, “And you need that money to rebuild your nation, not to cover for Alphinaud’s mistakes. You heard Tataru, I can recoup our losses by slaying a few Oni. It’s not a big deal.”

“It is ‘a big deal’ for me. It’s about trust,” Hien turns, scoffing, “though I’m ready to admit that I would have wanted to return part of the money, at least. Not that it would make much sense now, since you seem determined to fund the Shazenkai single-handedly. You would just redirect the coin straight into our funds.”

“What I give to the Shazenkai is from my finances, not the Scions’, but the principle is true. We bought that sword because you’re our friends and allies, not to saddle you with obligations. That is why we did not want you to know.”

“Alright,” Hien says eventually, “I concede the point, though I still wish you had told me,  _ friend _ .”

“Oh, don’t you start with that!” I laugh and flick some water at his face, and soon enough we’re deep in a splashing fight. 

The time to return arrives too soon, as always. As he dons his armor, Hien voices the thought that’s been lingering since Tataru’s call. “So, you are leaving.”

I nod. “Tomorrow or the day after. Alisaie had the right of it, and I had better get this venture done before Asahi returns. While I hope that you won’t have need of me during the prisoner exchange…”

“...all the signs point in the other direction. I know. I wish the kami will see fit to grant us some time together without the threat of looming disaster, one of these days.”

“One of these days,” I put a finger under his chin and raise his face for a quick kiss, “when all evil is vanquished and this star is at peace, I will hang up my bow and spend all my time playing for you in your court, and I shall never be away from you.”

“One of these days,” Hien says, wrapping his arms around my neck, “when Doma is rebuilt and safe and her people will have no more need of me, I will join you on the road and we shall have grand adventures all over the world, two restless wanderers in a never-ending tale.”

We pour all our longing and goodbyes into a long kiss, knowing it may be the last we’ll share without the worry of prying eyes at the back of our minds.

When our lips part, he rests his head on my chest and says, softly, “That does not sound like us though, does it?”

“No. It doesn’t,” I rest my chin on his head, breathing in deep of his scent, committing this moment to memory, “but who knows? Perhaps Shun and Rhotkoel will have more luck than we do, and their stars will keep on crossing more often than ours.”

“I envy them. Their story is whatever we want it to be in our letters, whereas we are confined by the harsh rule of reality.”

“On the other hand, creatures of ink and paper envy us because they cannot do this!” 

I squeeze his rump and he jumps in my arms, yelping. “You-!”

“I am impossible, yes,” I chuckle, “You said so before.”

“And for that you make the world more bearable.” Slowly, reluctantly, he separates from me and takes a deep breath, settling once more into the role of the Lord of Doma, solid and unshakeable, the anchor and pillar of his nation. Only his eyes betray the Hien I know. 

“Fare thee well, my warrior,” he says, in his most solemn voice, “Do not take too long ere you return to me. That is the only boon I ask.”

“And it is one I gladly swear to,” I reply, just as grave, though with a bright smile on my face, “for I know this in my soul: our roads are always destined to meet again, so long as we live under the same sky.”

And then I grab for his rump again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short chapter, and we've reached the end of _Rise of a New Sun_. Next stop, _Under the Moonlight_ and more fun with Tsuyu!


	6. Chapter 6

I wonder, were I ever to write a book of my adventures, if anyone would believe that even half of it is true. 

Tataru and I return from Hell’s Lid to the Ruby Bazaar pulling a cart full of treasure from Soroban’s business venture (well, I’m pulling, she giggles manically). Except the hoard of wealth does not come from defeated Oni, but from a temple under the mountain where a group of thousand-year old animal demigods keep watch over a bound monster of rage called Koryu. Oh, and Soroban just became one of them.

Sometimes I find it hard to believe it all myself. 

We find the twins waiting for us in Hancock’s office, and Alphinaud waves a letter in our direction: “Ah, Caranraw, impeccable timing. We have just received a letter from Lord Hien. The Populares have sent word that a vessel bearing Doman conscripts is soon to arrive in Yanxia. ‘Twould seem that the prisoner exchange is to proceed as planned. Lord Hien requests your presence, and I share his view that you should be on hand at this critical juncture.”

“Hello, my friend, how are you? Are you tired from fighting kami left and right? Do you need a few days to rest? A stiff drink? A chiropractor?” I let the sarcasm drip as I stretch my back in a symphony of pops and cracks.

Alphinaud is taken aback at my uncharacteristic outburst. “Do… do you need any of those things?” 

Alisaie tries her best not to giggle.

“Yes,” I sigh, “but if we are to pack and travel to Doma, we cannot afford to waste the time. Except for the drink. I will have one, with many of those little umbrellas.”

Alphinaud blinks. “What does the quantity of umbrellas-”

“Come on, Alphy, everyone knows they enhance the flavor!” Tataru giggles, while he shakes his head in confusion. 

Alisaie comes to his rescue, bringing the conversation back on track. “Ahem. According to the letter, Yotsuyu’s memory has yet to return, so it looks like she’ll be living out the rest of her days in Doma - assuming the ambassador means to honor the agreement, of course. Before we get to that, however, I think it would be wise to assess her condition one last time. If the Domans have missed any change in her mental state, however slight, it would be better if Asahi weren’t the one to spot it.”

“Agreed,” Alphinaud nods, “Let us make straightways for the enclave, then… or as soon as Caranraw has his drink. I trust you will cope in our absence, Tataru?”

“Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine! Just be sure to come back safely!”

* * *

With the Enclave Aetheryte now in place, travelling to Doma ends up taking less time than the return trip from Hell’s Lid. The guards must have been awaiting our arrival, for they usher us directly to the Kienkan’s central hall, where Hien is talking with one of his advisors. 

The concern on his face turns to relief the moment he sees us. “Ah, I see my letter reached you across the Ruby Sea! Thank you for coming so swiftly. Pray give me a minute to finish here and I’ll be right with you.”

The administrative matters dealt with - something about rice farming - the advisors bows and leaves. The moment we’re alone, Hien’s posture visibly relaxes, shoulders slumping and the firm set of his lips turning to a tired smile. “Forgive me. No matter how much I delegate, the number of meetings and decisions that need to be taken in this room never seems to decrease.”

I want nothing more than to hug him and kiss his worries away, but I am sure that there are still invisible eyes trained on us - Yugiri’s shinobi, making sure no one tries to assault the Lord of Doma in his residence. So I content myself with patting his shoulder, and receiving a brief arm squeeze in return. 

“Now,” he addresses us, “though I wrote at some length on the subject of the forthcoming exchange, there was one other matter I neglected to mention… It concerns Gosetsu. As you may have observed, he returned from his ordeal rather the worse for wear, and despite his best efforts to conceal his condition ─ or perhaps because of them ─ he recently collapsed.”

Alphinaud gasps. “Good gods! Is he all right!?”

“Confined to bed and grumbling without cease,” Hien replies, “but he has shown signs of recovery. He made me promise not to tell you, lest you worry unduly. Which was all very well when you weren’t here. Now that you are, however, I think it high time he received some visitors. Might you spare him a moment? Yotsuyu has scarce left his side, and I imagine you are curious to see what has become of her as well.”

“You’re not coming?” I ask, and Hien nods. 

“I believe he will be less guarded if I am not around. He is loath to admit any weakness to me, in case I start to think he may not be fit for duty any longer.”

“And is that the case?”

Hien takes a moment to answer, sighing loudly. “Only time will tell. But I would appreciate your opinion.”

“In that case,” Alphinaud says, “let us visit him at once.”

“Open wide, now…” Tsuyu’s voice carries outside the room. It seems we are interrupting them at mealtime. 

Alisaie slides the doors open without announcing us, likely trying to get a glimpse of this domestic scene, and is rewarded with the sight of Gosetsu, eyes closed, reaching out with his mouth open for the spoon in Tsuyu’s hands.

At the rustling of the doors, however, his eyes snap open and he falls back - as much as he can, since he’s currently lying in bed. “Please, Tsuyu,” he protests against the evidence, “I am not so frail that I cannot feed myself. Ah, I grow weary of the taste of gruel…”

Yotsuyu seems taken aback by the sudden mood shift. “You don’t like it? Can I fetch you something else?”

“Aye. Wine! Or if that is not ‘wholesome’ enough, I don’t know… a sweet persimmon from Namai? I enjoyed them in my youth.”

“A persimmon…” The woman ponders a moment on his words, then leaves the room with only a brief bow in our direction.

Alisaie clears her throat. “I hope we are not interrupting your meal. We had heard you were confined to bed, and thought you might welcome some visitors.”

“Confined to- A gross exaggeration!” Gosetsu cries, “A trifle drained from my exertions, perhaps. But with a little rest, I shall be fighting fit again in no time!”

I suppress a smirk. I remember saying something to that effect several times after a Primal or some other opponent almost wiped the floor with me, and often enough ‘a little rest’ was actually a few healers working overtime to get me back in shape before I escaped from my sick bed to throw myself into the next adventure.

These days, I actually appreciate the downtime, the few times I can get it.

Tsuyu takes that moment to return. Without warning and somewhat unceremoniously, she turns to Gosetsu and exclaims “Take off your clothes!”

I gape. Well, so much for the innocent girl act.

“Gosetsu!” Alisaie cries, similarly shaken, “Is this how you’ve been spending your time!?”

“My lady, I assure you, this is not-”

“Off with them,” Tsuyu continues, undeterred, “We need to wash you. You stink!”

There’s a second when everything’s still, then Alphinaud bursts out laughing, while I try very hard not to. 

An attendant with a good sense of dramatic timing chooses that moment to enter the room, carrying a wooden vat full of water and a sponge. He looks at us, confused. “My lords. Is this a bad moment?”

I lose it, and Alisaie follows, and Tsuyu gives a few hesitant laughs because everyone else is. 

The only one who doesn’t seem to find the whole situation amusing is the old samurai.

By the look on Gosetus’s face, it would seem that having to suffer a sponge bath in front of his comrades is a greater stain on his honor than being accused of having sex with a childlike ex-courtesan.

Old soldiers like him are good at hiding their real thoughts and aches from civilians, but I’ve played that song long enough to see what he’s not saying. His injuries clearly don’t allow him to wash himself, but he doesn’t want to allow anyone else to help him either, as that would mean admitting the problem - to himself as much as to the world at large.

Tsuyu, however, can bypass his protests and get right down to work, as her naive state means she’ll complete the task without judgment or pity, as well as making most of his objections just bounce off of her. 

Even she, however, cannot ignore the battlefield that is his body. 

“What are all these scars?” she asks, tracing the pale lines with the damp cloth, “There are so many of them…”

The old man tenses before answering. As viceroy of Doma, Yotsuyu herself has been the cause for many of those scars, either directly or indirectly. 

“A life of battle will leave its mark upon a man…” he gruffs, eventually.

Tsuyu considers his words, then clutches her head as if in pain. 

“Is something wrong, Tsuyu?” Gosetsu asks, feeling her twitching at his back. 

“It’s nothing,” she retorts more curtly than usual, “I’m fine.” 

She goes back to her ministration, which Gosetsu tolerates only for a few more moments. “Bah, leave me be, woman! I will not be fussed over like some newborn babe!”

“Oh yes, looking real mature now,” Alisaie whispers to her brother, and we start laughing again.

We leave Tsuyu and Gosetsu soon after that, hoping that it would give her a chance to complete her task before his next grumpy outburst, and reconvene with Hien in the meeting chamber.

“They make a convincing pair, do they not? On first acquaintance, I would think him a doting grandsire and her a model grandchild.”

“ Indeed,” Alphinaud says, “had someone told me a year ago that I would live to bear witness to such a scene, I would have declared them mad. That aside, I am relieved to see Gosetsu has lost none of his spirit.”

“But what a turn of events,” Alisaie says, turning to her brother, “I mean, for her to suddenly be watching over him. You couldn’t make it up. Although I suppose Gosetsu is an old man. With the way he charges through life, it can be easy to forget…”

“Aye, he has resisted decrepitude with the same defiance he showed the enemies of Doma.” Hien crosses his arms, nodding his agreement, “But no matter how adamant his will, no man can carry on forever. He has pushed himself beyond the limits of endurance too many times. Even if his health returns, the fact remains: he will never again be the warrior he once was. He has given his all for liege and land, and we will ask no more.”

I frown. “And what does that mean for him going forward?”

“I know him too well to try and keep him confined to this palace, or the Enclave. The man cannot keep still, nor would I confine him against his will. But I would try to… nudge him towards a role more compatible with his reduced strength and vigor.”

“And make it look like it was his idea all along?”

Hien smiles. “I am not wont to ask for the help of the kami on trivial matters, but… would that they made it happen.”

“And what of his nurse?” Alisaie asks, “If Yotsuyu is feigning that… well, she certainly has me fooled.”

I bite my lip. Nothing in her behaviour seems to be a ruse, but for that one moment, after she asked about the scars… she didn’t sound like Tsuyu. 

“This is no pretense.” We all turn to Yugiri, who has joined us silently in the room. I still don’t know if using her shinobi stealth is just an ingrained habit or if she’s just showing off. Perhaps it is both. 

“Yugiri,” Alisaie continues, “Out of all of us, I would think you the hardest to convince. So… what makes you so sure?”

“I have been spying on Yotsuyu from the shadows, waiting for the misstep that would betray her charade for what it was. But her mask has never slipped. Not once. She has remained in character from the first. One evening, I watched her as she sat in her chambers, unguarded and alone… She had taken the dishes from the cupboard, and was pretending to prepare dinner right there on the tatami. A child’s game.” She shakes her head, “Even the wariest shinobi would not go to such lengths. I can but conclude that her mind is truly broken.”

“Well, that’s good enough for me…” Alisaie says, “and everyone else, I would hazard.”

“Aye, the matter is settled. Yotsuyu will become ‘Tsuyu’, and begin a new life here in Doma,” Hien nods once, declaring the subject closed, “Before that can happen, however, we will need to present her to the ambassador one last time, to prove that her memory is truly gone. But I would not risk parading her in front of our returning conscripts. Her presence at the exchange would only stir up mutinous thoughts.”

Hien’s proposal is to show Tsuyu to the ambassador as soon as he arrives, before the prisoner exchange, so as to reduce the risk of anyone else seeing and recognizing her. 

It’s a good plan, sensible, and of course it goes awfully wrong when Tsuyu disappears from the Kienkan. 

We reconvene at the docks after a thorough search of the Enclave, where Hien has found a lead, and possibly bad news. “I have spoken to the captain of the skiff, and it seems that Tsuyu has crossed the river. ‘Twould seem she has gone unrecognized thus far thanks to her large-brimmed hat, but kami help us if someone catches a clear view of her face. I must find her before that happens.”

Alisaie goes back to the Kienkan to alert Yugiri, while the three of us cross the river and split to cover more ground: Hien will look near Kusakari, Alphinaud at Castrum Fluminis, and I’ll make my way to Yuzuka Manor. 

My search gives fruit, as Gyoku of the Namazu has indeed seen a woman with unusually pale skin make her way northeast. 

As I follow her trail from the skies on yol back, my brain finally connects the dots. Namai is to the northeast. Namai, where they grow the sweet persimmons Gosetsu had asked for. 

I urge my mount to hasten. Maybe, if I’m very lucky, I can catch her before she arrives in town. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> aka "Tsuyu and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day"

I find her hat on the road, a little way north from the wall gate.Though that confirms the direction she’s headed, that does not fill me with comfort. 

“Caranraw!” I turn to see Hien and Yugiri crossing the gate at a run. They stop a few feet from me to catch their breath. “Before you ask, our search of Kusakari and its surroundings has yielded exactly naught- save this chance reunion with you, I suppose.”

“Mistress Alisaie has gone to assist her brother at the castrum,” Yugiri says, “I joined Lord Hien here shortly thereafter.”

“How did you fare at Yuzuka Manor? Any sign of our missing guest?”

“Yes, but it’s not good,” I proffer the bamboo hat in reply, “It looks like she’s headed for Namai, and now without even the poor concealment of a wide brim.”

Hien looks equal parts tired and distressed. Not that I can blame him, as this day is fast sliding toward disaster. “…Towards  _ Namai _ ? By the kami! If the villagers recognize her, it will not end well. We must hurry. Yugiri and I will check the paddies; the village square is yours!”

I must have exhausted all my luck at Hell’s Lid, for I manage to spot Tsuyu just as she’s striding into the square, head raised and not a worry on her face. The sentiment is not shared by the other citizens, who gape in shock and dismay at the sight of her. 

“...I only wanted a persimmon,” I hear her cry, bewildered, as the villagers recoil from her in fear. 

“Kami save us!” one shouts, “Her spirit has returned!”

“She’s back from the dead to seek her revenge!”

By now a small throng has gathered around her, and not all are afraid. Some are looking angry. Angry enough for violence and retribution, perhaps. 

I see Hien and Yugiri come up the road, likely drawn by the commotion. I nod to them and dash forward to put myself between Tsuyu and the villagers. 

More people are arriving and, among them, I recognize young Isse and his sister. “It can’t be!” he hisses, just as shocked as the rest, “She couldn’t have survived!”

Tsuyu seems to have another fit, and I wonder -fear- if they’re returning memories. “What did I… What did I do?”

“As if you don’t know!” the boy growls, taking a step towards her. A few men follow, and I raise my hands forward, silently urging them to stop.

Hien finally reaches us, and for one moment I spot the dismay on his face before he hides it behind the mask of rule. This is exactly the disaster he’s been trying to avoid. 

Well, there’s nothing left to do now but damage control. 

“Good people of Namai,” he shouts to be heard over the din, “be at ease, I pray you! You have naught to fear!”

Predictably, the villagers find this hard to believe, Isse first among them. “My lord, forgive me but… what is that monster doing here!? They told us she was dead!”

“I too was surprised to learn of her survival. More even than you, I would hazard. ‘Twas I who cut her down.” Hien quickly explains her situation, Gosetsu’s return, and Yotsuyu’s unexpected memory loss. The wounds caused by Yotsuyu’s actions, however, are still too raw for the people to take the news in stride.

“You’re saying she’s  _ forgotten _ ? Forgotten everything she’s done!?”

“Lies! Lies, my lord! She would say anything to escape punishment!”

“What does it matter!?  _ We  _ have not forgotten her crimes! And we demand justice! I beg of you, Lord Hien, draw your blade and rid us of this canker!”

Tsuyu crumples at her feet, distressed by the barrage of anger. “What I saw, then. It’s all true. I’m sorry! I’m so, so sorry…”

“You’re ‘ _ sorry _ ’!?” Isse shouts, and she jumps again, “And what, we’re supposed to  _ forgive  _ you?”

“Isse, don’t-” I start, but it’s his sister Azami that saves the day. A persimmon in hand, the girl walks slowly but determined to Tsuyu. “Here, there’s no need to cry,” she says, offering her the fruit. 

Tsuyu takes it reverently, as if it were made of gold and blessed by the kami. 

“Can’t you see how scared she is?” Azami turns, addressing her fellow villagers, “How can you be scared of her? She’s not the same.”

Though her words are soft-spoken, they’re strong enough to reach the hearts of the mob. The rage fades, leaving room for doubt, bewilderment, and even some looks of pity. 

I lower my arms and sigh in relief. Not that the villagers were a serious threat to me or Hien, but I’m glad we didn’t have to unsheathe our weapons, or worse. Things would only have gone downhill from there.

Hien takes a step forward, taking advantage of the lull to try and quell the mob for good. “Until such time as her memories return, this woman shall be known as ‘Tsuyu,’ and treated as a citizen of Doma. I will, however, see that she is watched at all times. Rest assured that there will be no more unannounced visits to the village. As your lord, I ask that you leave her fate in my hands, and suffer her to live.” He turns to Tsuyu, still kneeling and holding the persimmon like an offering. “For now….” 

“Please, Isse,” Azami pleads to her brother, who still seems less than convinced. 

The boy hesitates a moment, then acquiesces. “All right. I’ll keep my peace,” he says, ruffling the girl’s hair, “As long as you’re happy. That’s all that matters.”

* * *

“That…would have been better avoided,” Hien sighs as soon as we’re alone, ”but at least it did not end in bloodshed. And judging by Tsuyu’s reaction, she remains oblivious to the events of her former life. This was no escape attempt.”

I tilt my head at her outstretched hands, still holding the fruit like a relic. “I’m afraid it was an offhand remark by Gosetsu that brought her here. She came in search of a persimmon.”

Hien barks a single laugh. “A persimmon! All this trouble for a persimmon. And they say fruit is good for the health. I do hope Gosetsu finds the taste to his liking…” 

“My lord-” Yugiri says, and Hien nods. “I know, I know. Gosetsu will have to wait.” 

He looks up at me, steadying himself on my arm under the pretense of checking on me. “If you’re ready, let us continue on to Castrum Fluminis and our meeting with the ambassador. Alphinaud and Alisaie should still be there.”

I nod, flashing him my best smile. “Your royal guard is ready, my lord. And who knows, maybe my face will make Asahi mad enough to let slip something about his plan.”

He snorts. “One can only hope.”

Tsuyu is way too shaken to fly on a yol, even if merely as a passenger, and so we start at a brisk walk toward the castrum. 

I keep to the rear, being the one with the longest stride, and occasionally nudge forward Tsuyu, whose energies seem to have exhausted themselves at the village.

After a while, though, I get the impression that she wants to stay behind with me. I slow down my pace and she matches mine, and a minute later we’re far enough from Hien and Yugiri that she can whisper to me without us being overheard.

“You know me,” she says, “you know what I did. All the things I don’t remember.”

I take a deep breath. “I do, yes. We all do here.”

“I… I understood that. But no one will tell me what it is. I know it’s something bad. The people of Namai, they all hate me for it. Why can’t I know? Everyone else does!”

The last part is said loud enough to make Hien turn. I give the smallest shake of my head and he seems to acknowledge it, as he returns his attention to the path ahead.

I’m sure Yugiri heard her too, but is letting me handle this for now. 

“Perhaps in time they will tell you. For now, I think they are afraid that your memories will return. That would...” Make your old personality resurface? Resurrect a cruel dictator? Force us to return you and all your secrets to Garlemald? “...make things difficult right now.”

She brings her hand to her lips, staring at the ground, much like Alphinaud does when he’s deep in thought. It’s a few moments before she speaks again, “Gosetsu said I was spared from my memories, but all the people at the palace are afraid of me, even when they are being very nice. When the man in yellow…”

Her hand moves to her throat, and I shiver. 

“Maybe it’s like he says. It would be best if I were at the bottom of the river.”

“No.”

She turns to me, surprised by the harshness in my voice. 

“I don’t know if it was blind chance or the will of the gods, but you have been given a second chance. A clean slate to forge a new self. Not everyone is afforded that, even less among those who deserve it. The best thing you can do is not squander it, regardless of how many people hate you right now.”

“Why,” she asks after another pause, “why do you care about me? Don’t you hate me too?”

“What can I say?” I reply, staring far ahead, “I have a soft spot for people who have lost their past.”

The twins are waiting for us at the gate of the Castrum. The Garlean shuttle has already landed, and I spot Asahi waiting for us with two companions, the usual self-satisfied smirk on his lips. 

“What a pleasure it is to see you once more, Lord Hien,” he says as we approach, with just enough honey in his voice to hide the sarcasm, “not to mention my dear sister.”

“A pleasure to see you too, Ambassador. Forgive us our late arrival. You have our people aboard the airship?” Hien replies, moving his gaze to the larger craft in the distance.

“Exactly as agreed. We would leave you in no doubt as to the purity of our intentions. I daresay it was the selfsame spirit of cooperation which prompted you to bring Yotsuyu here today.”

“Indeed. Before excluding her from the exchange, I thought it only fair that you see her condition for yourself. Physically, she is in fine health, but her mind is unchanged.”

Hien presents Yotsuyu, who stares at her stepbrother with her mouth open and the uncertain air of someone who’s not sure what’s being requested of her. Whatever the state of her memories, he’s still a stranger to her, that’s for sure.

“So I see,” Asahi pouts. Well, he simply doesn’t smile for a moment, but that’s as good as admitting his displeasure. “But all need not necessarily be lost. In anticipation of this tragic turn of events, I took the liberty of inviting some special guests…”

He raises his hand and one of his compatriots speaks into a linkpearl. A few moments later an old couple emerges from the shuttle, a man and a woman dressed in plain Doman clothes, their steps banging a metallic tattoo on the gangway. They do not seem at all comfortable being here. 

Hien isn’t too keen on them either, as his eyes narrow at the sight of them. I exchange a glance with Alphinaud and he seems to have reached my same conclusion as to their identity and their purpose here.

“Ah, Yotsuyu!” the man says eventually, with a forced smile, “You look… well.”

She doesn’t. Yotsuyu’s confusion turns to pain, and she drops to her knees, clutching her head once more. I wonder what awful memories are flooding her mind this time. I wonder how many more it will take for that dam to break completely.

If one didn’t know Hien, they could think his frown was just an expression of mild displeasure. Those of us who know better see only a sign of the rage seething just under his skin. “Of all the people…”

From Asahi’s smug expression, however, it’s clear that this is exactly the sort of reaction he was hoping for. “Is something wrong, dear sister? These are our beloved parents. Does not the sight of them bring back sweet childhood memories?”

Yotsuyu cries out again, shaking, and two things roll out from the folds of her kimono: Gosetsu’s persimmon, and a silver mirror. Yugiri recognizes it, as does Asahi, which tells me it’s the selfsame mirror that the ambassador gave her as a gift on his last visit. 

Tsuyu doesn’t seem to care for it, her eyes fixed on the fruit in front of her. “Gosetsu. I have to take this to Gosetsu…”

She takes the persimmon to her heart, reverently, and raises back to her feet. Like a center of gravity, the fruit seems to steady her, give her something to hang on to, both in body and mind. 

Asahi makes a sound of disappointment. “Hmph. It would seem my little surprise was not sufficient.” 

The look that Hien returns him could curd milk. 

I take a half step back, wondering if this is the drop that makes the glass explode, and I have to actually commend the ambassador for not even flinching. 

“You needn’t glare at me so, Lord Hien: I merely did what any loving son would do for his family. Lest you doubt, I am content to leave the acting viceroy in your care. Pray treat her as you would any daughter of Doma.”

Asahi kneels to recover the silver mirror and offers it back to Tsuyu, whispering something to her as she moves to accept it. More threats to her sanity, I suppose. 

Whatever it is, it’s enough to make Tsuyu turn and start walking away, slowly and staring straight ahead as if in a daze. Whatever clarity she had when she spoke to me on the way here, it’s clearly gone and frayed by now.

After a nod from Lord Hien, Yugiri follows her.

“We continue with the exchange as planned, then?”

I blink. With all the tension surrounding the two siblings, I’d almost forgotten about the prisoner exchange

“Very good,” the ambassador responds, “The structure across the river should serve our needs. We shall await you there with the conscripts, if you would bring your captives.”

“Agreed. Until then, Ambassador.”

Hien storms away with our group in tow, just slow enough not to look discourteous, and stops just outside the gate of Castrum Fluminis - and out of hearing range.

“I knew better than to trust Asahi, but that was a dirty trick. Still, unpleasant as it was, we have at least put the matter of Tsuyu’s future to rest.” He lets out a tired sigh. “She and Yugiri must be on their way to give Gosetsu his precious persimmon. Come, let us follow them.”

* * *

“Gosetsu, are you awake?”

“My lord! Come in, come in…” 

The old man straightens in his bed as we make ourselves comfortable on the sitting pillows. He seems to already know why we’re here, so he dives straight into it. “When Tsuyu returned, her eyes were red from weeping. She spoke not a word, simply sat and peeled some fruit she’d brought for me. She then claimed weariness and retired to her chamber. Tell me, what happened to upset her so?”

“The ambassador arranged a surprise reunion with her foster parents. A misguided attempt to restore Yotsuyu to her senses.” Misguided is not the word I would have used, but I don’t interrupt. “It was plain their presence caused her great distress, but she seemed otherwise unaffected.”

“Yotsuyu was mistreated as a child, was she not?” Alisaie says, narrowing her eyes, “It was a cruel trick to use her tormentors like that, knowing the pain it could cause.”

“Cruel, aye,” I nod, “I’ve seen but glimpses of her past, and that was enough to make me loathe her family. They share a lot of blame for shaping her into what she is… was.”

“Hmph,” Gosetsu rumbles in disapproval, “I like this Asahi less and less…”

“Be that as it may,” Hien says, “he has agreed to allow Yotsuyu to remain with us in Doma. Our primary concern now is to hand over the prisoners without incident, and bring our people safely home.”

“About that,” Alphinaud chimes in, “There was one other detail at the meeting which caught my attention. I assume you all noticed the rather suspect crates within the castrum? The imperials were quick to retrieve them afterwards, but I wonder…”

“Out with it, Brother,” Alisaie says, “You fear they might contain bombs or war machines?”

Hien purses his lips, thinking. “If the ambassador wanted me dead, he has had ample opportunity. No, assassination is not his intent, but we should be on our guard for other acts of treachery.”

“In that case,” I say, “I would suggest retreating for the night. It is getting late, and we will need all our wits on the morrow if we want to outsmart the ambassador at his game.”

“A sensible suggestion,” Hien smiles. 

A suggestion he promptly ignores to sneak into my room, where I’m consuming a simple fare of rice and fresh fish. Well, Mitsuba may call it simple, but even a barely trained culinarian like me can see the skilled cut of the salmon and tuna, and the delicate balance of flavours in the accompanying sauce. The Ten Thousand Stalls is definitely going to become a famous establishment in the region, if not the continent. 

“Care to share?” I ask with my mouth half full, raising the fine porcelain bowl in his direction. 

Hien covers his mouth with a hand to stifle a laugh, then shakes his head. “No, thank you. And before you ask: yes, I did have dinner. In fact,” he produces a small bundle wrapped in wax paper from the inside of his  _ jinbei _ , “I saved a few portions of sweet dumplings to share.”

“Did I mention recently that I love you?”

It probably sounds even less romantic than I look, scarfing my food down and still half-dressed in my travel gear, but it must be enough for Hien, for he looks at me so fondly that I just have to stop, my next morsel halfway to my mouth. “What? Have I got something on my face?”

“Just your usual, impossible self.”

“Oh, that bad, huh?”

He laughs, and I love him even more. 

We’re halfway through the dumplings when we hear a commotion outside. 

“Please! I need to talk to lord Hien right now!”

“Come back later, woman! Our lord gave strict orders not to be disturbed-”

Hien jumps to his feet and I follow. He slides the door of my room open and we’re presented with the scene of a woman, a maidservant by the looks of her, prostrating in front of two lupin guards. 

“It’s alright,” Hien exclaims, causing them all to jump, “I would like to know the cause of such urgency.”

“Lord Hien!” a guard gulps, turning his head from Hien to the door at his back, “I thought you were-”

“My lord!” the woman cuts through, raising her head for a moment only to turn it back to the floor, “Forgive me, but the lady Yotsuyu… she’s gone!”

“Gone!?”

The maid flinches. “I beg your pardons, my lord. I was certain she had fallen asleep…”

“No, no,” Hien says, soothing, “the responsibility is mine. ‘Twas I who gave her a room instead of a cell. She may simply have wandered outside. We will organize search parties.” 

He turns to me and I anticipate his question, already hopping into my boots. “Yes, yes. You may call upon my assistance. I’ll go call the others.”

“I knew there was a reason why I keep you around.”

I almost fall down.

I end up searching in the courtyard. All seems quiet under the moonlight, until I hear a soft cry for help coming from the direction of the Yard.

I follow the voice to the grim scene of two bodies on the ground, one stabbed in the back, the other still alive- barely. 

I recognize them immediately. Yotsuyu’s parents.

“Help- Help me…” her father cries, feebly. 

I kneel at his side and as usual, in the very worst possible moment, my head swims and the Echo hits me like a brick.

_ “If only I hadn’t remembered.” _

_ Yotsuyu’s voice, as she runs through the yard. This time it’s obvious it’s her, and not Tsuyu. It’s cold and cruel and bitter. _

_ She stops by a tree and reaches into her sleeve, drawing out a wooden scabbard, and from the scabbard a short, sharp blade. She stares at it as if it contains all the answers in the universe. _

_ “He should hate me.” _

_ She places the blade at the side of her throat, trembling. Her eyes are brimming with tears. _

_ “But I will not suffer his kindness. Not after what I did to him.” _

_ It might have ended there and then, had not her parents arrived.  _

_ There is more berating, more accusations, more blame-shifting. They don’t realize they’re not talking to a simpleton girl, but to her old self. _

_ Her father even goes as far to suggest selling her for a good price to start again in Kugane.  _

_ And then she laughs. The old, cruel laugh of the Imperial Viceroy of Doma. _

_ “Ah, my beloved parents. No sooner do I wake from gentle slumber than the world returns in all its cruelty. Yes, this is how it always was. How it was meant to be. Very well. If I cannot escape my nature, then I shall embrace it.” _

_ The Echo skips the rest of her words. Only action remains.  _

_ He does not notice the knife behind her back until it is in his belly. She tries to run, but she reaches and stabs into her back, once. Swift, precise, deadly.  _

_ The blood on her face is hot and sticky. Vengeance makes her own heart rush. She wonders why she ever stopped.  _

_ And then someone claps. She doesn’t even need to turn to know who it is. _

_ “Brother dearest. What a surprise. You always were a cold-blooded little worm. I doubt you thought twice about sending our parents to their deaths.” _

_ Another flash, another jump forward. _

_ “Surely you can’t be satisfied with murdering a pair of doddering elders,” Asahi whispers, a manic, predatory grin affixed to his face, “You yearn for a deeper vengeance…and the power to see it through.”  _

_ As the memory fades, I see him hand her the silver mirror, and I finally remember where I saw it first. _

The return to the present is always harsh. Asahi’s father begs for his life at my feet, and I feel hurried steps at my back, but it’s all I can do not to bow down from the throbbing behind my eyes. 

“Caranraw! Any sign of-” The old man draws his last as Hien reaches my side. “By the kami. What happened here?”

“There’s no time,” I hiss through the pain, “gather the others.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I put a few extra hours between the visit to Gosetsu and Yotsuyu’s disappearance, both to give Hien and Caran some quality time, and also not to make it look like everyone at the Kienkan is so desperately careless. Really, losing your not-a-prisoner once is fine, but twice in the same day? That’s just sloppy.


	8. Chapter 8

By the time Yugiri and the Twins return to the Kienkan, I have recovered enough to share with them my vision of the events. 

“I knew what would happen if she recovered, and still I did nothing,” Hien crosses his arms, berating himself as I knew he would, “You say she left with her brother? Whatever he wants with her, he was willing to pay for it with his parents’ lives.”

“I have a suspicion,” I sigh, “and it has to do with that silver mirror and those crates Alphinaud saw.”

“This is the second time today that he has returned it to her after she let it fall,” Alphinaud agrees, “It must be important, and given the way Asahi has just gleefully sacrificed his parents, I do not believe it holds any sentimental meaning.”

“If my guess is right,” I reply, gravely, “its importance is not in what it is, but in what it can do. I remembered where I saw a similar mirror before, or perhaps the very same one… when we broke in the Red Kojin’s vault.”

“The Vault? That would explain why the Red Kojin attacked us. But that means- By the gods!” Alisaie cries, “The Kojin’s treasures are primed with aether. You don’t think he’s trying to summon a primal?”

“I fear it’s worse than that,” Alphinaud says, reaching my same conclusion, “Yotsuyu has no devotion for the kami: even were she to believe in their existence, she surely blames them for her lot in life. No, faith is out of the question, but perhaps a strong emotion, or a desire…”

“A desire like vengeance,” I finish for him, “Vengeance on a whole nation and everyone who wronged her. They’re going to turn Yotsuyu into the primal.”

Alisaie shivers. “Just like Shiva. And very unlike the Empire. Do you think the Ascians might have a hand in this plot?”

Hien cuts our speculations short. “There will be time for that later. For now, we must rush ahead to Castrum Fluminis.”

Alphinaud nods. “If we’re lucky, we can stop this folly before-”

“We will do no such thing.”

Hien’s words take us all by surprise, Yugiri included. “I heard all you said, my friends, and I know it is nigh inevitable that these sham negotiations will end in battle. Still, as ruler of Doma, I cannot forget that the safety of the conscripts must be my first concern. As such, I have to insist that the exchange proceed as planned… but I would scout the stage ahead of time, to ensure an escape route is in place before the meeting begins.”

Yugiri falls into that line of thought without hesitation. “The citadel has stood empty ever since the imperial withdrawal. While we took steps to ensure that it could not be defended by an occupying force, it is entirely possible that the ambassador has arranged things there to his advantage.” 

The shinobi resolves to slip inside and make certain we have an unobstructed exit, and Alphinaud offers to accompany her. “I have some experience of imperial facilities. And should matters take a turn for the worse, I would hope to be of at least  _ some  _ use…”

“That should guarantee us a way out of the castrum,” Hien says, “Beyond that, however, we will need a ship to ferry the conscripts back to the enclave. Even with every skiff we have, it would take several trips to evacuate everyone. A Confederate sekibune, on the other hand, would require only a single run, and leave us far less vulnerable on the water.” 

“Assuming, of course,” I say, “that Rasho can be convinced to part with one.” 

Alisaie smirks. “Might I take the lead on this? I’ve had dealings with Rasho and his pirates before. And I won’t be alone, will I?”

I sigh, affecting resignation. “I suppose not. Who needs sleep, anyway?”

“Much appreciated. I quite fancy parleying with pirates again. It’s just a shame Lyse won’t be there to reprise her role.”

Hien laughs. “I am certain you would make a persuasive pair… but I think I will accompany you to these negotiations all the same.”

“My lord,” Yugiri balks, “the ruler of Doma should not be seen consorting with common brigands!”

“Come now, Yugiri, they stood with us against the Empire. If we would ask their aid once more, we must treat with them as equals. My presence shall serve to demonstrate our sincerity.”

“…Indeed, my lord. Pray forgive my presumption. By your leave, Master Alphinaud and I shall be about our task.”

“And we should be on our way to Onokoro. Time is short, and Rasho may take some convincing.”

We make to go and gather our gear when Alisaie brings up the other haunting question of the evening. “Wait. Before we go, did anyone tell-”

Hien sighs. “I broke the news to Gosetsu myself. He was…quiet. I think it best that he be allowed some time alone with his thoughts.”

* * *

Rasho takes  _ a lot _ of convincing, but Hien lures him with the prospect of refilling the dwindling ranks of the Confederacy by recruiting among the ex-conscripts, specifically those who have no home to return to in Doma. It takes Hien getting down and dirty to inspect the hull of the boat, however, to pull him firmly on our side.

We’re all surprised, however, when the pirate leader says he will offer Ihanashi, the apprentice shipwright, a chance to leave the Confederacy if his father is among the returning prisoners. 

“I have heard that those who join the Confederacy forswear all ties with kin and homeland,” Hien says, “Is that oath so easily put aside?”

“If I allow it,” Rasho replies, asserting his authority anew, “I see in him the lad I was twenty-five years ago. You say the words, you mean them, but the yearning for home still lingers. My family is long dead, and I know this life is my lot. But he has scarce dipped his toes with us. If there is a life for him in Doma, he should have the chance to live it.”

“Well said. The Empire’s conquest has uprooted many and more. Be it in Yanxia or out on the Ruby Sea, we have a duty to ensure that Ihanashi and others like him are free to dwell where they desire.”

Rasho agrees with one of his rare smiles. “Then the matter is settled. I will make preparations to cast off.”

“Well, my friends,” Hien tells us after the appropriate goodbyes, “it seems we have our ship. Let us return to the enclave.”

“By the by,” Hien tells me, on the way back, “when you said you offered to pay the Ruby Tithe in nature…”

I blush, and Alisaie almost doubles down laughing. “Oh, he did! I was there. It was not subtle.”

Hien tilts his head, affecting deep thought. “What I wonder is, who in the Confederacy did you propose to? Rasho? No, the man does not seem to be your type-”

”-although our Caran  _ is _ attracted to leaders and strong men, like you and Raubahn,” Alisaie helpfully chimes in. I try to find a hole in which to disappear, a quite futile effort since we’re flying in close formation.

“Wait. It’s Tansui, isn’t it? The bared skin, the facial hair, the ponytail… shame on you, Caranraw! Did you just ask me out because I have a passing resemblance to a pirate? By all accounts, I should demand your head for that!”

Hien and Alisaie laugh again as I bury my face in the neck of my yol. “Just for the record: I hate you both.”

The night sky is beginning to lighten when we return to the Enclave. Alisaie waves us goodnight through the yawns and heads to her room, and we pause at the entrance to Hien’s quarters. We’re alone, the guards having been dismissed, and neither of us seems to want the other to leave.

“I should go back to my room.”

“That is sensible,” he nods, “we both must get some sleep before the prisoner exchange.”

“And we wouldn’t do that if we were to spend the night together.”

“We wouldn’t. We’re rather good at keeping each other awake. Even after a night like this.”

“So I should just… go.”

“Indeed.”

He slides the doors open and hesitates on the threshold. For a moment I think he might ask me to join him anyway, but then he says, “Caranraw… Things may yet work out in our favour. There may yet be a chance to stop Asahi’s folly. But if things go wrong…”

I nod. “That’s where I step in. I know.”

Hien’s back is shaking lightly, though, with his face turned away from me, I cannot see if it’s with weeping or rage. “By the Kami, I have no right to ask you any more than you have already done for us, but none among us has the power to resist tempering. I should be at your side, not sending you against a Primal alone.”

I cross the space between us and wrap him in my arms. He’s tense, high-strung, and no small wonder given what’s at stake. “Shh. It’s all right. Slaying Primals is my thing - when I’m not winning thrones, that is,” I feel him chuckle, so I continue, “And I can fight better knowing that you’re not at risk of having your mind overtaken by a would-be god. If battle breaks out, your katana will be put to better use defending the conscripts.”

He takes my hand to kiss it. “Your words are kind, but it does not change that I feel powerless - or more powerless than I’d like to be, anyhow. I hate having to put so much weight on your shoulders.”

“You carry the weight of a nation, I that of a single fight,” I say, kissing the top of his head, and if anyone is watching us they can be damned, “Besides, you just talked a pirate into helping us for free, or almost so. I would call you many things, but powerless is not one of them.”

Hien smiles, leaning against me. “Last I checked, you carried the weight of this star as if it depended on you alone. But I will accept my limitations in the fields of fight and magic - if you only promise to be careful.”

“I will do my best to be able to kiss you at the end of the fight. More than that, I cannot promise.”

“I suppose,” he turns to kiss me gently, “that is all that I can ask.”

* * *

In the morning, a Confederate skipper ferries us across the water to the tower of Castrum Fluminis, where the exchange will take place.

“Whatever else Asahi has planned,” Hien tells us as the skiff speeds through the One River, “we  _ will _ bring our people home. Yugiri, you are to evacuate the conscripts at the first sign of trouble. Rasho’s ship awaits you at the castrum’s loading docks.”

“We, meanwhile,” Alphinaud adds, “shall cover their escape, and lend what support we can.”

“Then all stand ready to play their part.”

I say nothing. We all know what my role is in this.

I suppose I look suitably imposing when Hien, Yugiri, and I meet with Asahi, Maxima, and the other Imperial guards whose name I keep on forgetting. Not that it matters much, since the Ambassador hates me with every fiber of his being.

“At last, the hour has come,” he spreads his arms, all smiles, as if he actually believed in any of this charade, “The conclusion to these negotiations will mark a new beginning for Doma and the Empire - a first step on the road to peaceful coexistence!”

“Indeed. We are ready to proceed with the exchange when you are.” Hien spots the selfsame crates we had seen the other day, and we exchange a quick, worried glance, “Forgive my curiosity, Ambassador, but is there a purpose to these containers you bring with you?”

“Oh, the supply crates? They are filled with materials we hoped might be of use in Doma’s restoration. I meant to gift them to you at our last meeting, but we had so much else to discuss…”

“How very generous. I confess, I had not expected such compassion, welcome though it is.” Hien’s tone is so saccharine in his reply that it almost makes my teeth ache. If I didn’t know better, I could almost believe his words sincere, if not for what comes next, “But then I was also surprised by the news that one of our captives had delivered herself into your custody ahead of time - a minor discrepancy I shall overlook in the spirit of the occasion.”

A rustling of clothing and the sound of determined footsteps precedes the arrival on stage of a once-dead woman: back in her black and red Viceroy kimono, long pipe in hand, a vengeful sneer on her face. “Are you perhaps referring to me, Lord Hien? Orphan of the Naeuri, widow of Sashihai… and acting viceroy of Doma!”, she thrust her pipe forward like a ruler might do with their scepter, “You and your people are mine to govern. Mine to punish!”

Hien scowls at her arrival. “Well, well. Yotsuyu. It would seem your shattered mind is mended. As per our agreement with the ambassador, you are free to return with him to the Empire. Your authority as acting viceroy, however, is no longer recognized here,” he ends, crossing his arms. 

Yotsuyu takes a long drag from her pipe, blowing out the smoke slowly, untroubled. 

“My position is not for you to decide, little lordling,” she chuckles, “All who resist the rule of the Empire must be purged. Such was the order given to me by Lord Zenos himself! I will reign here in this putrid, pestilent swamp until the last of you has been broken!”

Her voice rises in volume as she talks, ending in a rageful roar. Reaching into the folds of her dress she draws out the silver mirror and holds it high over her head. “This land shall know no dawn. I will spew forth darkness and drown all in eternal night. And high above you I shall shine uncaring, cold and distant as the moon!”

Asahi takes that as his cue to trigger the opening of the crates. As predicted, they contain a bounty of aetherically charged crystals, whose energies start swirling and shimmering towards Yotsuyu. Her feet lose the ground, as the silver crescent on her mirror shines a bright, unnatural light.

Hien takes a step back, assuming a defensive stance. “By the kami! Is this-”

“It’s as we feared,” Alphinaud cries in reply, “This is a summoning!” 

I whip out my bow and fire an arrow at the mirror, but it’s too little, too late. The shaft doesn’t even reach her, annihilated mid-flight by the eddies of swirling aether.

For a moment it looks like the moon itself has been summoned inside the tower, shining full and bright. The light quickly wanes into a sickle, and then it’s just a crown haloing the darkness of the new moon.

After a second flash of silver light, Yotsuyu stands above us, transformed. 

As the ever-changing satellite she drew her image from, she is half black and half white, dark hair on pale skin on one side, the reverse on the other. Even her clothes have changed, a white and purple kimono adorned in gold, trailing in long feathers on one side. When she opens her eyes, they’re bright and blue like a god’s. 

Asahi runs to his guards, affecting an urgency he clearly does not feel. “A Doman citizen has called forth an eikon in direct violation of our primary agreement. The negotiations have failed. Abandon the captives, and make preparations to withdraw.”

Maxima starts to object, obviously seeing the trap laid out by his master for what it really is, but Asahi threatens him into obedience, and the three of them run away. 

Yugiri immediately falls in front of her ruler, knives out and body tense. “My lord! You must fall back!”

Of course Hien doesn’t want to. He’s a fighter. His instinct is to unsheathe his katana and join me in the fight. 

But I look at him imploringly, mouthing a silent  _ “please” _ , willing him to remember his promise from last night. The objection dies on his lips and he nods. “Very well. I know this foe is beyond me. The field is yours, Caranraw! We will withdraw…but not without our countrymen.” His next words are for Yugiri. “I want every soul accounted for. Every soul!”

“My lord!” she bows, and then they’re both gone, on their way to save the conscripts. 

Yotsuyu keeps looking down on us patiently, a goddess uncaring of the scurrying of ants, until only I am left in the room. “I knew you would not flee,” she addresses me from the air, taking a drag from her pipe, itself transformed into a ridiculously long, jet black affair, more wand than smoking implement, “I see now the strength which flows from that baleful light of yours. But I am become Tsukuyomi, goddess of the moon and divinity of night. What power can compare to such celestial majesty!? I shall plunge all I despise into darkness! And within that black abyss, even your light shall flicker and fail.” 

A silver crescent appears at her back like a ribbon for her  _ obi _ , and she flicks her golden fan at me, beckoning me to an upper platform as the stage for our fight. “Come, let us cast the stalks and look upon the fate of Doma. I see a future in which the sun sets on this wretched land once and for all!”

* * *

The fight starts like any other: we trade blows and tricks, gauging each other’s strength; she wreathes the platform in aether and I dodge; she swipes at me with her fan, and I fire at her with my arrows. “Let’s share the torment, shall we?” she laughs as she trades blows with me, watching me dance to and fro to the tune of her magic. “Struggle all you wish - I encourage it! Your death will be all the sweeter…”

But then, things start to emerge at the edges of her arena: swirling clouds of darkness, almost like unformed voidsents, oppressive and frightening in their aura. I make pincushions of them and, while they seem to swallow my arrows without effect, eventually they fade. 

Tsukuyomi doesn’t wait idly for me to finish them off though, and she casts a spell that lays down heavy on the platform like the scattered petals of a black lotus. 

I fall to my knees and expect a final blow- which does not come.

“Why does it fade away?” she asks herself aloud, equally confused. 

As I struggle back to my feet she seems to come to some sort of realization. “Ah, I understand. It feeds on my spite, my suffering… Come forth, shades of the dead!” the eikon cries, raising her arms to the sky, “Curse my name! strike my body! Fill my soul with the blackest malice!”

Light erupts from her body, and she falls to the ground, looking like Yotsuyu once more. The gloomy clouds reappear and latch onto the aether like a rope, using its strength to shape themselves into figures out of her past.

First to come are her parents, the first to consider her a failure, the bane of their existence. The nightmares crawl toward her, relentless, seemingly ignoring my flurry of blows until some critical mass is reached and they vanish into a puff of aether. “Worthless,” they tell her as they fall, “might as well be dead”.

They are followed by shades from Doma and Garlemald, two sides of her life constantly tugging at her, a woman berated from both sides: witch and traitor for one, a wiley trickster but nonetheless a savage for the other. 

Next is Asahi, her step-brother, goading her into fighting for his own sake. “Cold-blooded little worm”, she calls him as an arrow pierces his brow, “always crawling through my rotten heart.”

The next specter swats me away with a single swipe of his sword. Zenos. Of course. Even after death, the bastard sees it fit to come back and haunt me - and Yotsuyu - as a nightmare shade.

“You have come to deliver judgment to my failure?” the downcast Yotsuyu asks, pride cutting through her words despite the suffering, “Cut me down, then. Surely it is a simple task!”

I paw for my quiver and find it missing. My eyes find it a little distance away, the strap that held it to my belt snapped in two, the few arrows I had left scattered haphazardly around it. 

“I knew I should have kept on with my pugilist training…” I sigh, forcing myself upright and preparing to fight my worst foe armed with nothing more than my gloved fists.

Right then, unexpectedly, a different sort of ghost throws itself in the way, his katana clashing with the Viceroy’s sword. 

“Stay behind me, Tsuyu!” a deep, booming voice shouts, and Yotsuyu startles in recognition. 

“Gosetsu!”, she cries, “Why? You have no place here…”

The two ghosts exchange blows, Gosetsu faltering under the unrelenting assault of Zenos’ shade, but he gives me time enough to recover my bolts. 

“Tedious,” Zenos says as he gains ground on Gosetsu, right before one of my arrows hits his ghostly armour. His eyes turn to me and, though I recognize that judgmental stare and the hollow boredom behind it, he does not seem to recognize me. 

Of course. This is not the real Zenos after all, only a pale imitation of a woman’s memories. 

It’s easy to take him down with that knowledge in mind. The shimmering Gosetsu strikes the final blow and the two shades start fading, spent, the nightmare currents finally sated. 

“Savor your hollow victory,” says the madman. 

“Tsuyu… must… survive…”, whispers the samurai. 

Yotsuyu seems to consider both, as the aether slowly flows back into her body. 

“Perhaps…” she says, and, for one moment, one brief moment, I dare to hope that she may yet be saved, until despair creeps again in her next words, “but it is too late for me. There can be no redemption. A nightbloom shall flower here upon the site of my demise…”

The flow of energy engulfs her like a red moon and Yotsuyu gives way to Tsukuyomi, mortal despair blossoming in preternatural, uncaring cold. 

“In darkness blooms the spider lily,” the goddess whispers, her pipe and fan turning into blades of light and dark, mirroring those of the shades fighting for her soul, “From mortal husk I rise anew!”

In the instant before the strike, I lower my bow and catch her gaze. “Tsuyu,” I plead, “must we really play this dance?”

“My bloodied hands have much left to accomplish!”, her cold voice shouts, “I’ll grind you under my heel!”

Her words drip anger, sorrow, vengeance, but my eyes lock with hers, and they tell a different story. A story of pain and lost chances. A story of burnt bridges and terrible choices. A story that, for better or worse, can only end one way. 

She raises her blades. I nock my arrow. 

We strike.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, remember when you had to level up in a different class before you could upgrade to a job? This Pepperidge Bard remembers.


	9. Chapter 9

The blood moon bursts and Yotsuyu falls to the ground, aether leaving her body in great gasps. Though human sized again, she seems to be holding to the last vestiges of her eikon form: her hair is fully white, haloed around her celestial garb.

We both inch toward each other, she dripping aether, I dripping blood, and I don’t know if it’s for a goodbye or a reconciliation or a last struggle.

The moment is shattered by a gunshot, and a second. Yotsuyu flinches on the ground, one, two, three times, then lays still, crimson pooling around her. 

“You really must learn to finish the job,” a voice says at my back, “‘Tis true that a gaudy mirror and a handful of crystals make for a feeble summoning, but even the weakest eikon is a god of sorts. A threat that must be put down.”

Asahi. The weaselly bastard has not fled, after all. I grab my bleeding arm, wondering if I can take him before he reloads. “Here to kill the last of your family, you despicable coward?”

“My, my, such hostility!“ he says, feigning surprise, “These beings are the sworn enemies of the Empire: I merely did my duty as an imperial officer. Will you surrender to anger, then? Slay an anointed emissary to avenge a fallen foe? You cannot, of course,” he cackles maniacally, “To do so would burn the bridges we have labored so-”

I punch him in the face. It’s a feeble effort, weak as I am from the fight, but the shock and the surprise are enough to make him careen away from me. Asahi holds his nose in his hands, red droplets staining his gloves and uniform, but does not retaliate. His main quarry is not with me, not yet. 

“It should have been mine,” the ambassador growls, advancing on his stepsister, “The power he bestowed upon her… I should have been the one to govern Doma! I would have repaid his faith! Instead, this harlot betrayed his trust!” 

He kicks her body, shouting at her, punctuating every cry with the heel of his boot. ”Useless…piece of…filth!” 

I see the movement before he does, busy as he is… how did he put it?  _ Surrendering to anger. _ I wonder idly if I should warn him.

“Worthless whore!”

Nah. I guess not.

“Despicable-”

Asahi’s words die on his lips, quite literally, as blood sputters out of his mouth. I suppose I’ll never know how that insult ends. It would have been nothing creative, anyway. 

“Thank you, dear brother,” I struggle to hear Yotsuyu, her voice barely above a whisper, “for this precious gift. Vengeance.”

She raises a hand to the sky and his limp body follows, carried into the air by the twin swords embedded in his chest.

“These people… our people… they ignore the corruption which festers beneath the surface. Cast aside that which is dirty and broken. Speak not of things which would disrupt their dreary little lives. Like you, Asahi… always pretending not to see. You were the first… the first I swore to kill.”

Asahi squirms, his arms wrapped round his chest in a futile attempt at protection, trying to find words but uttering only blood. Droplets fall on Yotsuyu’s open hand and she smiles. “Ahhh…such bliss. I had thought my hunger insatiable, but now… now I am satisfied. You should feel honored, dear brother. I saved the last of my strength just… for… you.”

Her fist clenches, and the moon swords lacerate his body. He drops to the floor like a marionette with broken strings. 

Perhaps there is still something that could be done to save him, one part of me says, the part that is supposed to be a hero, the bigger person, always providing second chances. The part of me that is cruel and vengeful spits on that. Screw Asahi. 

I run to Yotsuyu’s side, checking her wounds, cursing my non-existing healing skills.

“What’s the matter?” she smirks, despite the blood dribbling from her lips, “The witch of Doma will soon be dead.”

Why did you do it?, I want to scream. Why did you fall back to hate? You could have stayed. You could have faked it. You could have slipped out in the night. But you chose violence and revenge again. You threw your second chance away.

“Gosetsu will mourn you,” I say instead.

“At whose feet do those sins lie? With the soldiers who committed the crimes, or those who commanded them?” Yotsuyu quotes the old samurai, coughing between words, “‘Twas my execrable brother who gave me that mirror, who brought here my parents, who made me relive all that hate, all that pain… but it was I who plunged the knife into my mother’s back, I who took pleasure in it. Sweet, little Tsuyu was dead the moment my memories returned. Her happiness was not for this life.”

She shakes her head, slowly. “Gosetsu will mourn Tsuyu, perhaps. Not me. Though I wonder… Was the fruit as sweet… as he remembered?

The last of the aether inside her exhales along her last breath, and all that’s left of Tsuyu and Yotsuyu is a beautiful, raven-haired porcelain doll. 

There is utter, heavy silence for a few moments, broken untimely by a low groan. I clench my teeth in anger. Asahi didn’t even have the decency to die first. 

Alas, before I can do anything about it, the Echo sees it fit to grant me another trip down memory lane, confirming all the details of his wretched plan. The ambassador was never a Populares, just like I suspected. His whole role was to discredit the faction, and to prevent any sort of peace between Yanxia and Garlemald.

And the man who assigned him to this plan was- Zenos?

_ How can this be? _

I return to the present, where Asahi is looking at me, his stupid, manic grin back on his lips. “My… My master… Lord Zenos,” he sputters his last words, “He will come…for you.”

“Let him come,” I hiss, “Whoever or whatever is walking in his skin, let him come so I can kill him again.”

But he can’t hear me anymore.

* * *

I’m not sure for how long I stay like that, knelt down between the bodies of two despicable people, one for whom I think death was not quite enough pain and suffering, and the other… the other wishing I could have saved, despite all the pain she’d brought into this world. 

Does that make me a hypocrite, I wonder? Or maybe just human.

Footsteps interrupt my reverie, followed by a pained cry. Gosetsu, having reached the tower through means unknown, half runs, half hobbles ahead of the others and falls to his knees at Yotsuyu’s side, stricken by grief. 

“She is gone,” he wails on her chest, “Wherefore did the kami spare us only to inflict this pain?”

I have no answer to that.

“You have prevailed, I see!” Hien’s cheerful greeting wanes at the sight of the fallen bodies and of his wailing mentor. “…death shall not want for company this day. You spared us a worse disaster, but I fear our fledgling peace with the Empire was beyond saving.”

I let out a hoarse, horrible laugh. “There was no peace. There was never any chance of peace. All of this was but a ruse. A cruel game.”

Once more I retell my visions, and the assembled party shares my dismay at the news of Zenos’ apparent return.

“But how can that be?” Hien cries, “Zenos is dead. He took his own life after the battle in Ala Mhigo. I saw his body with my own eyes!”

I shake my head, chuckling. “You’re asking  _ me _ ? I was  _ there  _ when he did it!”

“And what of this ploy?” he wonders, pacing the room, “Start a negotiation and make it fail by his own doing? Reneging the treaty on a technicality that no one in Garlemald would be able to confirm or deny anyway? What was the  _ point _ ?”

“Summoning the primal was the point,” Alphinaud says, grimacing in distaste, “I’m afraid Caranraw was right, and this must be an Ascian plot. Getting rid of us in the process was simply an added bonus.”

Someone coughs politely from the shadows, calling Hien’s name. It’s one of Asahi’s guards, the one that seemed the more reasonable of the lot.

“Maxima, is it not?” he answers, beckoning him forward, “I assumed you long fled.”

“I entertain thoughts of escape even now. But our negotiations have yet to reach a satisfying conclusion. The ambassador insisted that the summoning spelled an end to our mission here, but it seemed to me there was more to the tale…”

Maxima turns to me. “I have heard tell of this power you wield. And in your vision, you witnessed Lord Zenos giving these orders?”

I nod, much too tired to do anything more. I have already told the tale and he has heard it. If he doesn’t believe me, I do not care. 

“That must have happened before the battle for Ala Mhigo,” Hien says, struggling to find a logic to it all, “that’s the only explanation. Though I fail to see how he could have foreseen Yotsuyu’s return…”

Maxima shakes his head. “Forgive me, but Lord Zenos is very much alive: he granted our party an audience prior to our departure. That he was gravely wounded is certain, but his recovery appeared to be proceeding apace.”

“I am afraid I share Lord Hien’s confusion,” Alphinaud retorts, “The man’s death was confirmed and his remains interred. These are matters of public record.”

“Hmm. I have no doubt you believe what you say. But what then is the explanation? That an impostor has infiltrated the innermost circle of the imperial court? The idea is inconceivable, absurd…” the Garlean brings a hand to his lips, pondering the odds, “…but worthy of investigation nonetheless. Our movement can ill afford to have a highly placed pretender undermining our efforts.”

“Your efforts may yet bear fruit,” Hien says, then brings the topic back to the prisoner exchange. Though the ex conscripts have already been brought to safety, my wonderful man is still willing to honor his side of the agreement and free the Imperial prisoners - and since he’s not a weaselly, heartless bastard, Maxima heartily agrees to completing the exchange. There is someone in the Empire that values human life, after all.

I must have dozed off from fatigue during part of the exchange that followed, for my eyes snap open at the following words from Alphinaud: “Might I accompany you to the capital?”

“Alphinaud!” Alisaie cries, “Have you gone mad?”

Wait. Alisaie? When did she get here? I must be even worse off than I thought.

Alphinaud prattles something about Zenos, and something about Ascians, and something about proving himself in the meeting room as I do in the battlefield, and then he looks at me for approval.  _ This is a bloody stupid idea _ , is what I want to shout,  _ and you will be in danger, and I will not be able to protect you, and who told you that I even want to fight all these battles in the first place? _

Instead, blood loss finally gets to me and I flash a grandiose smile as I say “I believe in you, Alphinaud!”

And then I pass out.

* * *

I wake to someone holding my hand. It’s a gentle yet firm grip, and I doubt I could slip away from it even if I wanted to. 

I tilt my head, eyes half-open, and my gaze rises from the two calloused hands holding my big one, to two strong arms criss-crossed with battle scars, and finally to Hien’s face, smiling widely in relief. “You are awake. I was starting to get worried.”

“Hien,” I start, my tongue heavy in my mouth, “how long-”

“You have been out of it for almost two days. Forgive me. I had not realized how grave your wounds were after the battle with Yotsuyu.”

Slowly, every movement accompanied by pins and needles in my limbs, I bring his hands to my lips and kiss them. “And how long have you been here at my bedside?”

“As long as Yugiri and Hakuro allowed me to. The wheel never stops turning, as you well know, and I had to see off Alphinaud in your stead. I appointed him emissary of Doma, for what little protection that will grant him in the Empire.”

“So he’s gone, then.” I gasp - or try to, as it comes out more like a cough - at the memory of my last waking moments. “Wait. Please tell me I didn’t actually encourage him to go.”

“I’m afraid you did. He was rather surprised by that, but your dramatic egress from the conversation deprived us of the chance of asking for confirmation until it was too late to delay the departure,” Hien leans in to whisper conspiratorially, “By the way, Alisaie is quite mad at you. I would avoid her for a day or two - though she may take pity on you, given your convalescent state.”

I am now sufficiently awake to take a look at the room we’re in. I expected to be in an infirmary or in my bedroom, but it turns out we’re in Hien’s rooms after all, a fire burning merrily into the  _ irori  _ and filling the room with warmth. 

Or maybe it’s just the effect of having Hien near me.

_ Twelve above, I’m so sappy. _

“Hmm,” I say, rubbing my thumb against his palm, “I think that this patient might feel a lot better after a kiss or two. Or more, if my chirurgeon deems me fit for it.”

Hien throws his head back, his laughter filling the room. “I would say you are well on your way to recovery, if you can make such comments! And believe me, I want for nothing more than fulfilling your wishes… after you have had some mouthwash.”

“Rude,” I reply, pretending to shrink away from him - though all my mock offense vanishes as his lips brush with mine. 

I raise my left hand with some effort, cupping the side of his face and tracing lightly the scar above his brow. “I’m sorry I broke my promise.”

Hien blinks, confused. “What-”

“I was supposed to be fit enough to kiss you after the fight.”

He laughs again, softly, combing some stray hair away from my forehead. “You silly… impossible man. If that’s all that worries you, I suppose you are fit enough to meet the others after all. I will go tell Alisaie that you’re awake.”

“What? No!” I cry, holding on to his arm as he rises from his seat, “Will you at least promise me you’ll stay, just to make sure she won’t kill me?”

“I may not be able to stop her,” he grins, “but at least there will be a witness to your gruesome end.”

Luckily for me, Alisaie is more mad at her brother than she is at myself. “Of all the rash, impulsive, hotheaded ideas that-” she grumbles, pacing the room, “And you, what were you thinking, saying ‘ _I believe in you’_ with a smile like that! Of course he went ahead with it!”

“In my defense,” I reply, “I was concussed and bleeding profusely.”

“That’s not an excuse,” she huffs, her hands on her hips - though her stern look turns to a chuckle after she sees me whimper. “Oh, come on, do you really think I blame you for it? You know Alphinaud: once a concept has lodged itself in his head, there’s no way to steer him away from that course, like with the Crystal Braves or Gosetsu’s sword.” 

“Hmm. Let’s hope it goes better than those affairs, then.”

“Indeed! Well, that’s enough worrying for both of us,” she claps her hands, “Let’s get you all dressed, if you think you can stand. There’s a celebration you will not want to miss.”

It looks like I can stand after all, and am mostly able to wash up all by myself, though it takes the help of Hien and Alisaie to fit me properly into a Yanxian haori. 

“Is this-”

“Gosetsu’s, I’m afraid. Your battle clothes are in sore need of mending, and I know how particular you are about repairs,” Hien says, “I thought you’d prefer to go outside looking like the warrior you are rather than a merchant or a rice farmer.”

“Merchant would not be completely off the mark. I  _ did _ sell many a fine leather jacket …” I chuckle, though neither Hien nor Alisaie seem to get the joke, “but I agree: this is more appropriate to celebrate the return of the conscripts.”

It is not a feast like we would have done in Eorzea. There are no sparklers, no music, no fireworks, no tables strewn out with food in front of the Kienkan, just a great number of people assembled in the large square, holding their loved ones close after so many years of forced separation. Some families had already been reunited as soon as we had returned from the Castrum, of course, but it took time for everyone with a missing father or brother to travel all the way to the Enclave from the far corners of Doma and the Ruby Sea.

In fact, I spot Ihanashi among the crowd, still in his Confederacy clothes and talking lively with an old man who I suppose to be his father. 

Hien’s gaze follows mine and he smiles at the scene, and all the similar ones taking place in the square. “How often have I imagined this moment,” he says, squeezing my shoulder, “Thank you for helping it come to pass.”

“Anything and everything for you,” I whisper, resisting the urge to cover his hand with mine, “ _my lord_.”

Before he can form a retort, some sort of silent message seems to spread through the crowd. Everyone turns toward us and, in the silence that follows, they bow deeply to us in the formal Eastern style, a sign of gratitude and respect at once. 

Hien and Yugiri give a short nod of acknowledgement and then bow just as deeply in return, with Alisaie and I scrambling to replicate the gesture.

And then the moment passes, and there is joy and laughter and crying again. 

“Ah, there you are!” 

We turn at the familiar booming voice, and gape at the unexpected sight. Alisaie is the first to recover her words. “Gosetsu, your hair!”

Yugiri is just as surprised. “My friend… What have you done?” 

Gosetsu smiles, passing a hand over his freshly shaven head. He turns to lord Hien but his eyes are slightly downcast, not quite meeting his gaze. “An old man who cannot raise his blade has no place in the service of a young lord. Thus did I decide to devote my remaining days to pilgrimage. I will walk this land, offering prayers of repose for all the souls who left this life in suffering.”

Hien crosses his arms, squinting at his old friend as if weighing his decision, but in the end his lips quirk into a smile. “...all of them?”

“You have a lot of road ahead of you, then,” I say, “I wish you safe travels, Gosetsu.”

The big man lets out a hearty laugh. “A fulsome farewell makes for an enjoyable journey!”

“Scarcely have we said our good-byes to Alphinaud, and you leave us too,” Hien says, words tinged with melancholy, “Ah, but ’tis well that my companions find their own way forward. I must endeavor to do the same.”

“I have faith that you will find the best path for Doma without me, my lord,” Gosetsu says, “Pray forgive me this last act of selfishness, and grant me your blessing.”

“You have earned it. A thousand times over! Go in peace, my friend. I shall make of Doma a land where children laugh and none need live in fear.”

Gosetsu’s eyes move over the assembled crowd and then get distant for one moment, looking at the ghost of something - or someone - only he can see. “There is no better way to honor those who went before,” he nods, “But before I take my leave, Caranraw, my lord… there is something I would tell you. In private.“

Hien and I exchange glances, wondering what it could be about, then nod. 

We retreat to a safe spot behind the Shazenkai, away from the throng. “Come then, my friend,” Hien says, “is this about Yotsuyu’s burial, mayhap? I have given thought to it, and I believe no one would mind if we made a discreet grave for Tsuyu’s ashes somewhere in the mountains-”

“That is very considerate of you, my lord,” Gosetsu says, bowing, “but that is not what I wanted to talk to you about. Ah… I am actually not sure how to breach the subject. It is rather personal, and I do not wish to offend.”

Hien crosses his arms, curiosity fully piqued. “Is it now? We have known each other so long that I struggle to think of anything you might be too shy to tell me. Out with it.”

The old man’s gaze moves from Hien to me and back, and I think we both realize what he’s going to say the moment he opens his mouth. “Caranraw… my lord… My sword arm may not be as good as it once was, but my eyes still work as well as they ever did. I have seen the way you two looked at each other in the Azim Steppe, and I see the way you’re looking at each other now. Like two tigers circling a flame. I may have been blind to many things in my life, but not to this. If you are willing to listen to an old man’s parting advice… do not hide behind the walls of friendship and camaraderie. Embrace this happiness while it is in front of you, for one never knows when fate will rip it from you.”

Whatever he sees in our faces -embarrassment, shock, sheepishness- must not be what he was expecting, for he lets out a loud “Bah!” and rubs the back of his head. “Forgive me. I have overstepped. I should have left before I could make a fool of-”

“Gosetsu,” Hien interrupts him, resting a hand on his left arm, “your eyes still work as well as ever, as does your great heart.”

His eyes widen. “Does that mean…”

“We were waiting until you got better to tell you, so we could talk to you alone. Then everything happened, and, well,” I add, then move to lace my fingers with Hien’s, “here we are now.”

Hien nods. “We found each other the night before the assault on Doma Castle. It has been a bumpy road-”

“-mainly due to my fault-”

“-but one I fully intend to keep on travelling to the rest of my days.”

The old man passes a hand over his eyes, wiping stray tears away. I bite my lip hard so I don’t have to do the same, because, twelve gods above, did he actually say _to the rest of my days_?

“Well! Well,” Gosetsu says, “that is a great weight off of this old man’s heart. Now I truly know that Doma is safe, with my lord watching over her, and you watching over him. I wish you all the happiness this star can grant, my lord, my friend… And with that I take my leave!”

We watch the old samurai stride away, head high and whistling a Doman tune. 

* * *

“A bittersweet occasion this has been. The sorrow of parting mingled with the joy of reunions… though I will say there is greater cause to be grateful.”

We’re back at the Kienkan, Hien having summoned us all inside for some private thanks and celebrations. 

“Our brothers and sisters are returned to us, and the dream of Doma’s restoration is that much closer to being realized. It is a day that will live long in memory, and one that would never have dawned without the courageous actions of the Scions. On behalf of Doma and her people, we give you our deepest thanks.” Hien bows to me and Alisaie, and somehow this private gesture is far more embarrassing than being thanked in public by a whole nation, “Lest you think me complacent, I assure you, I have not forgotten the dark cloud on the horizon. That Zenos lives is a source of grave concern - mayhap the gravest - yet there is little to be done but wait for Alphinaud to send word. Until then, I plan to devote myself to fulfilling the promise I made to Gosetsu, by building a nation in which none need live in fear.”

“I will miss the old man and his laughter,” Alisaie says, “I hope his travels bring him the peace he sought.”

“He does seem to have taken Yotsuyu’s demise better than I thought possible,” I say, “For the last few months he was sullen and despondent, barely moving from his bed, and now he’s up and about, set on travelling the country. Perhaps it is a cruel thing to say, but it seems her death has spurred him back to life.”

Hien ponders on my words, bringing a hand to his chin in a familiar gesture. “I wonder… did you ever stop to ask yourself why he showed Yotsuyu such kindness? I believe the answer lies in past tragedy, specifically, the death of his wife and daughter during the invasion.”

“So he took Tsuyu in as a shadow of his daughter? Or granddaughter, given the passage of time,” Alisaie says, “Her mien was surely more that of a little girl than that of a tyrant…“

Hien nods. “After the loss of his family, Gosetsu devoted himself wholly to the service of his country. He suffered any hardship, strove beyond the limits of endurance without hesitation or complaint. Though Tsuyu could never truly replace his daughter, I had hoped that with her at his side, he might live out the remainder of his days in relative contentment…”

Yugiri sighs at the thought. “Would that the kami had been so minded. Even now, I labor to discern any meaning in Yotsuyu’s fate. To deliver her from certain death, with no memory of her sins, only to leave her at the mercy of her stepbrother? Can that truly have been their will?”

“That I cannot tell you,” Hien replies, downcast, “The will of the kami is not for us to know. But what I do know is that for a brief moment, a girl known as ‘Tsuyu’ lived among us… and that she brought with her a whisper of respite for a grieving heart.”

We share a moment’s silence, for all the dead, and for a girl who only existed a few months, and for everything that could have been.

Alisaie grabs my sleeve, bringing me out of my reverie, and I see in her eyes that she’s already thinking of the road ahead. “Caran… I wouldn’t dream of leaving Doma until you’re fully recovered, but people at the Rising Stones will need to be apprised of what happened here, and especially of Zenos’ apparent return. But before we head there, I wondered if you wouldn’t mind a brief detour.”

I silently thank her for giving me an excuse to spend a few more days with Hien. Though, looking at her face, I might just be hurt that badly. ”To Rhalgr’s Reach, I suppose.”

She nods. “We should be the ones to tell Lyse about Zenos. After everything we went through together, we owe her that. And given that his grave is in the Lochs…“

That reminds me of something I’d almost forgotten in the wake of the last few weeks. “A grave that was desecrated a short time ago. You don’t think-”

“Tell me,” she flashes that smirk of hers that spells nothing but trouble, “how do you feel about tomb raiding?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Hi, I’m selling these fine leather jackets! Free ‘Ask me about Loom(™)’ badge with every purchase!”
> 
> But wait, there’s more! Next week (tentatively) we start a new story with a canon-divergent side trip to Kugane before plunging into Prelude in Violet.


End file.
